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OIjD 

ROUSES 

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MORE OLD HOUSES 



IN 



WESTBOROUGH, MASS. 
AND VICINITY 



WITH THEIR 



OCCUPANTS 



THE WESTBOROUGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

H 

1908 



ri4 

.WL5 W4f 



Gift 

NOV 7 ISIS 



Contents. 



The EivI Whitney Birthpi^ace • • • • ^ 

The Doctor Hawes House . . . • 9 

The John Fay House . . . • 

The Samuel Fay House . . . • • 

The Jonathan Fay House . . • • 

The Parkman Farmer's House .... 
The Old Arcade . . . . • 

The Brigham Tavern ..... 



The Cobb Homestead 

The Horace Maynard Birthplace 



The Governor Davis Birthplace . • • -34 



39 
42 



The Morse Homestead ..... 48 



Index 



55 




(tccrpiRD 172S.— The BikThplack of Ei,i Whitney.— 1765-182:1 



The Eli Whitney Birthplace. 



The birthplace of Mi Whitney is 
only a memory. The picture reveals 
an edifice not unlike scores of others 
erected a hundred and fifty years ago 
by the moderate well-to-do in Massa- 
chusetts. The front, having two win- 
dows and a large door between them 
in the first story with three windows 
symmetrically placed in the second and 
the top of a great central chimney 
peering above the ridge of the roof, 
constituted a combination which a 
hundred years since might have been 
duplicated scores of times in a day's 
ride through Worcester and Middlesex 
counties. The scant cornice, the lim- 
ited number of windows in the ends of 
the structure and the rear roof descend- 
ing almost to the ground indicated not 
only a somewhat meager purse but 
schemes of convenience and household 
economy quite unknown to builders of 
later days. The trees and the numerous 
out buildings tell of thrift and some 
ideas of beauty as well as utility. The 
shop where the Cotton-gin inventor 
did his early experimenting, probably 
does not appear in the cut, unless that 
portion nearest the West end of the 
house be the part in question. Though 
no complete description of the interior, 
so far as known, is in existence, it 
doubtless had the usual small hall with 
doors on each side opening into rooms 
at the right and left with a winding 
stairway leading to the chambers 



above. Through these first floor rooms, 
dwellers must pass to the bedrooms 
and pantry and kitchen which were 
found in the rear of the house. The 
second floor was capable of many sub- 
divisions according to the number and 
needs of the hired help and the child- 
ren. The great chimney gave promise 
of at least three, and possibly four fire 
places in its first story and two or 
three in the second. The edifice was 
certainly well ventilated and was built 
to last Indefinitely. Only a lack of 
paint and the utmost carelessness 
could cause the decadence of such old 
time houses. Miss Maria Grout of 
Westboro remembers the old house and 
her description of the interior, though 
the same vanished more than fifty 
years ago, furnishes the basis of the 
foregoing verbal picture. 

Occupied by at least four generations 
of people, were it not for its single 
notable dweller, it is probable the edi- 
fice and all that surrounded it would 
have faded away without a word of 
comment or of regret from the world 
at large, just as hundreds of other 
houses, having had their day and then, 
grown "eild and sair forfairn ", have 
disappeared, leaving "not a rack be- 
hind." Erected in 1728, it stood for 
one hundred and twenty-six years, for 
it was not till 1854 it gave place to the 
more modern house which now occupies 
the ancient site. There had been 



Whitneys many, and for many a year, 
resident within its walls and anon 
gazing- from its sightly outlook, but 
only one of the entire number had the 
necessary prompting to fathom the se- 
crets of what lay beyond the horizon 
and to grasp success in distant lands. 
Here IJli Whitney was born, Dec. 8, 
1765, not only the most distinguished 
native of the town, but one of the world 
famous, one whose deeds rendered him 
conspicuous both south and north of 
Mason and Dixon's line. The man- 
sion was not ancient then, scarcely 
more than well settled in its delight- 
ful location, and, in this particular 
year, we may fancy that Whitney 
dwellers and neighbor callers were 
discussing the obnoxious Stamp Act 
and other tyrannous measures which 
were leading up to the Revolution. 

Back of the house, at the left, yet 
joining it, was a part which Miss 
Grout denominates " the older part " 
and here it is probable that the repair- 
ing and other like work of the elder 
Whitney was done. We are told that 
from his earliest age the future inven- 
tor was fonder of this part of the house 
than of the living rooms proper. Here 
he soon learned to use skilfully the 
limited number of tools that his father 
had brought together for the rainy day 
employment, characteristic of the care- 
ful New England farmer. When the 
old mansion was torn down, it is said 
that this portion, moved a short dis- 
tance back, became the general utility 
place for the farm house and if any 
portion of the original structure is in 
existence today, it will be found among 
the ruins of the shop which tumbled 
down under the weight of snow several 
winters ago. In September, 1904, when 
so many people assembled to witness 
the dedication of the Eli Whitney 
marker, scores of hero-worshippers 



carried away with them bits of these 
ruins as mementoes of the man whose 
genius not only prolonged slavery but 
also suggested the means which 
ended it. 

The kitchen, which was the large 
room, back of the great chimney, was 
filled with memories of the subsequent 
inventor. Here it was that he took to 
pieces the great English bull's eye 
watch which, to the mind of the ten- 
year-old youngster, was the most won- 
derful bit of mechanism in the entire 
world. Good folks may differ in their 
estimate of the fault he was guilty of, 
in pleading illness as a reason for not 
going with his parents to meeting on 
a noteworthy Sunday, but they will 
surely agree in admiring the curiosity 
that prompted him to separate the 
wheels of the timepiece and the skill 
that enabled him to put each one back 
in place. The ancient timepiece quiet- 
ly ticking, as it hung on its accustomed 
nail, gave no token of its lately dis- 
integrated entrails and, certainly, did 
not tell of the sudden recovery the 
youthful Eli experienced when the 
meeting-going load disappeared down 
the hillside. In this same kitchen, too, 
the boy Eli must have worked on his 
fiddle during the absence of the father. 
When the latter returned and made in- 
quiries among his children as to what 
they had been doing while he was 
away, one of the little folks peached 
on her older brother saying, '• Eli 
worked all the time on a fiddle." The 
reproof of the austere father is record- 
ed in these words, " As for Eli, I fear 
he will have to take out his portion in 
fiddles". What would not the National 
Museum of Washington give today for 
that particular musical instrument 
were the same obtainable ? Far more 
than all the worldly possessions of that 
Puritan father, when he came to lay 



down life's burdens, would not buy it. 
Possibly it was in the room which we 
would enter from the right of the front 
hallway, or as it was called the Bast 
room, that the new Mrs. Whitney, from 
the town of Sutton, for we must know 
that the elder Whitney married twice, 
displayed some of the items of her 
marriage outfit, among others, a set of 
unusually fine table-knives. They ex- 
cited the admiration of the twelve- 
year-old Eli and he handled them with 
ever increasing wonder, still his belief 
in his own powers prompted his saying 
that he oould make as good a knife 
himself. The incredulity of Mrs. 
Julia (Hazeltine) Whitney, openly ex- 
pressed, was completely overcome a 
few months later when the loss of one 
of the precious articles was made good 
by the lad who had surpassing confi- 
dence in himself. What would we 
give, could we find today one of the 
stick-pins which Whitney made in the 
days of the Revolution, that our ma- 
ternal ancestors might keep in place 
those seemingly impossible poke-bon- 
nets, doubtless no more exaggerated 
then than merry-widow hats are in 
this early part of the twentieth cen- 
tury. Very likely the ancient stepping 
stone, now the marker of the birth- 
place, was trodden many a time by 
fair callers in quest of the product of 
Eli's genius, thus helping him towards 
college and getting for themselves a 
bit of finery so dear to the feminine 
heart. 

■ We can hardly fancy the making of 
nails, to which the deft hands of the 
youth were turned in these early days, 
as a memory of the house proper, but 
it could have been no further away 
than the shop, the theatre of so many 
of his early experiments. There is no 
doubt that old buildings in Westboro 
and neighboring towns are today held 



together in part by these iron objects, 
wrought into shape by our eighteenth 
century disciple of Tubal-Cain. Cer- 
tainly this was the house which was 
home to him during the years of his 
teaching in the schools of his own and 
nearby towns. While he "boarded 
round" during the week, there can be 
no doubt that on Sundays he placed 
his knees beneath the home-table and 
enjoyed the delights of familiar cook- 
ing and the pleasures of kindred 
society. Thence he went to distant 
Leicester to attain the knowledge, es- 
sential to entering Yale College, then 
so far off ; it was a vastly more import- 
ant matter than a trip to California 
now. 

When he went to college in 1789, he 
was in his 24th year and his direct con- 
nection with the place of his birth 
ceases, but the same old building stood 
here during those three years of New 
Haven life, when he astonished the 
staid old professors with his marvelous 
skill in mechanical matters. Even then 
there were those who thought Eli Whit- 
ney was burying his talents when he 
entered college, one critic saying, "Too 
bad to lose so much mechanical genius, '> 
and, when he was permitted to repair 
and to restore to usefulness the long 
unused orrery of Yale, the carpenter 
from whom he had borrowed some 
tools said, "A good mechanic was lost 
when you entered college". The old 
house didn't know it, but all these four 
years, the Yale College student was 
adding to the fame of his birthplace. 
The distance was too great for him to 
visit his old home, besides he was long 
past his majority when he received his 
diploma and he was ready to accept 
the first opportunity that offered for 
lifelong employment. 

We see him, the year of his gradu- 
ation, on his way to Savannah to study 



law, and there, even on ship-board, 
proving- his natural genius by the re- 
pairs and improvements made in the 
embroidery frame of the good ladies 
companions of the voyage. He is a 
long ways from the Whitney House, 
when he turns his attention to an im- 
proved method of separating cotton 
fibre from the seed. In the very first 
year after graduation, he perfects the 
contrivance which rendered the rais- 
ing of cotton supremely profitable, 
indeed in the language of those who 
grew opulent by its cultivation, Whit- 
ney made Cotton, king. Doubtless the 
tardy mail service of those far away 
days bore to the quiet dwellers on the 
hill-top, some story of his tribulations 
in Georgia, how he had seized upon 
the simplest of mechanical notions and 
combining them, had given to the 
world the Cotton-gin. Very likely 
there also came to the house, constant- 
ly growing older, some complaints of 
the usage that the world benefactor 
was receiving at the hands of those 
whom he had suddenly made rich. 
However, if the letters came they per- 
ished in their own day, and no trace 
came down to later years. 

Not often did the master genius visit 
his old home, though we may imagine 
that occasionally, in the intervals of 
his busy life, he sought the scenes of 
his boyhood and as of old looked over 
the waters of the Sudbury and the 
Assabet, anon to unite in those of the 
Concord and, possibly, had a new 
vision of the world and its possibilities 
in gazing over the vista on which his 
childish eyes first rested. The Savan- 
nah invention gave to American 
slavery almost a century of prolonged 
existence and an exaggerated sense of 
importance to that part of our nation 
lying south of the surveyors' line. 
What strange fortune was it that 



turned the thoughts of the great genius 
in his later Connecticut life, into chan- 
nels which were to make him the in- 
ventor and improver in fire-arms whose 
employment, thirty years after his 
death, was to end the reign of cotton 
and slavery and, settling forever the 
question of State Rights, was to weld 
into one compact body the states of 
the Federal Union ! 

When Whitney died in 1825, his 
birthplace, the old Whitney House, of 
Westboro, was hardly one hundred 
years old, and still occupied by those 
of the inventor's family, was gaining 
some of the celebrity that was due its 
long standing and what it had given 
the world in the shape of the man, of 
whom Macaulay had said that his inven- 
tion of the Cotton-gin had done more 
for the dominance of America than the 
genius of Peter the Great had accom- 
plished for Russia. Though only a 
marker commemorates today the site 
of the Whitney house, yet hundreds of 
tourists annually climb the hill to see 
where the dwelling stood, from the 
sightly elevation gather inspiration 
and, at the same time, breath a grate- 
ful blessing for the shelter it afforded 
the infancy and childhood of Eli 
Whitney. 

Alfred S. Roh. 

Worcester, Oct. 21, 1908. 

Note. — The site of this house in- 
cluded the southwest corner of old 
Marlborough, where stood a "wight 
oke, " and part of the old Beers' grant 
south of that point. This grant was 
laid out in 1692 and was sold by the 
Beers' heirs to Samuel How and in 
1698 to Thomas Rice who owned most 
of the town south of his homestead 
near the Rice neadow. 

Nathaniel Whitney, the grandfather 
of the inventor, whose name appears 




The Dr. Hawes Place 



on the monument in the southeast 
corner of Memorial Cemetery, received 
from Samuel Hardy, in 1725. 15}4 acres 
in Westborough and 22 acres in Sutton, 
south of the Fay farm, of which he 
bought an acre in 1728. In 1729, he 
bought of Mary, widow of Isaac Shat- 
tuck, 12 acres on the east. In 1730^ 
Thomas Rice sold him 3 acres on the 
south, "part of my farm known by 
the name of Jack Straw's hill." These 
tracts constituted the Eli Whitney 
farm. This Nathaniel was selectman 
from 1739 to 1742 and in 1751. 

In 1765 he deeded to his son Eli, "one 
half of my home-place where I now 
live." This Eli, the father of the in- 



ventor, was town treasurer in 1778 and 
selectman during 12 of the years be- 
tween 1780 and 1800. In 1807 he deeded 
land to his son Benjamin, to whom, in 
1813, his brothers Eli and Josiah and 
their sister Elizabeth, wife of Elihu 
Blake, sold their rights in the home- 
stead of some 88 acres. In 1853, Eli 
Whitney, the nephew of the inventor, 
sold the estate to Marcus Grout who 
erected the present house. In 1863 his 
widow sold to Charles B. Kittredge 
who in 1867 sold to Eben D. White, Jr. 
In 1885 the place passed to William H. 
Johnson, whose widow is the present 
owner. S. I. B. 



The Doctor Hawes Place. 



In 1732, Thomas Forbush deeded to 
Cornelius Cook, blacksmith, "four 
acres and fourteen rods of land near 
Cranberry Pond, with the dwelling 
house thereon: where said Cook doth 
now dwell." Five years before Cook 
had married Mr. Forbush's youngest 
daughter Eunice. In 1750, Cook deeded 
this place with house and barn to 
Abijah Bruce, who shortly after sold 
it to Jonas Bradish. The latter in 1757 
sold it to Jonathan Rolf.and he in 1762 
to Benjamin Hills of Grafton. I have 
the original deed of Hills to James 
Hawes of Wrentham, phj'sican, dated 
November thirteenth, 1764, in the fifth 
year of his majesty's reign. King 
George the Third. The price named 
was eighty pounds. 



In this house Tom Cook was born in 
1738. He was noted for his eccentric 
ways, taking from the rich and giving 
to the poor. In Mr. Parkman's Journal, 
Aug. 27, 1779, 41 years after he had 
baptized Eunice Cook's baby, in the 
old Wessonville Church, still keeping 
an interest in him, he writes, "The 
notorious Thomas Cook came in (he 
says) on purpose to see me. I gave 
him what Admonition, Instruction and 
caution I could. I beseech God to give 
it Force! He leaves me with fair 
words — thankful and promising." He 
was a great favorite with the children. 
"His pockets were always filled with 
toys which he had stolen for their 
amusement." He was not often de- 
tected in his thefts. If he was he gen- 



erally found a way of escape. He 
lived to be over 90. The house still 
bears the prints of Tom's axe on the 
front room floor. For further inci- 
dents in his life I refer to Mrs. Forbes' 
book, 'The Hundredth Town." 

It was in 1648 that Edward Hawes 
of Wrentham, married Elvjry Lambert. 
Their son Daniel was born in 1652 and 
married Abigal Gay in 1671. Benjamin, 
their son, was married in 1696 and in 
1724 married Abigal Fisher. Dr. James, 
the son of the latter, was born in 1739 
and married Hannah Thompson in 
1762. As early as 1761, he was a prac- 
ticing physician in Wrentham, his 
native town. We have several bills of 
medicine bought by him of Mr. Coppin 
of Boston, in 1761 and later. He came 
to Westborough in 1764. 

I here quote from Mrs. Forbes' in- 
teresting account of Dr. Hawes and 
the old house as it was at that time. 

"It was not until 1764 that a young 
physician came here to settle, who was 
destined to have a large influence in 
town. In a few carefuUy written note- 
books he has left us a slight history of 
his own professional and legal life, 
and of the art of medicine as practised 
in this town one hundred years ago. 
.... His house is still standing on 
the corner of East Main and Lyman 
streets, with no important alterations 
except those he made himself. It was 
a wooden building, painted red ; since 
then it has received a coat of plaster. 
.... As first purchased by Dr. Hawes, 
it consisted of four rooms below, and 
good chambers on the second floor. 
There was the parlor, a small square 
chamber opening out of it (now the 
front hall): on the other side of the 
parlor was the hall, opening into the 
kitchen and the doctor's office, part of 
the latter forming a projection on the 
west side of the house. This room is 



smaller than in his day, and is used as 
a passage-way to the wood house 
beyond. In this room was the tall 
chest of narrow drawers, each one 
marked like those of a modern drug- 
store, the narrow-seated, stiff office- 
chair, the small scales for weighing 
out medicine, the iron mortar and 
pestle for their proper preparation, 
the few medical books, including one 
he had laboriously copied out himself 
from a rare printed copy, and possibly 
his records as Justice of the Peace. 
He was born in 1739, being, therefore, 
twenty-five when he . . . . settled here. 
Dr. Hawes is described by a gentleman 
over ninety, as being rather tall, plain 
looking, with his hair standing up 
straight from his forehead. He was 
the most prominent citizen of Westbo- 
rough during many years. As a far- 
mer, physician, and lawyer, he led a 
busy life. As a Justice of the Peace, 
all the small law matters came before 
him. He was no less active in politics; 
for many years was Town Clerk; dur- 
ing the Revolution was an active home 
worker, holding, unflinchingly, the 
very unpopular position of constable 
for both districts, doing in that line 
alone the work of two men .... 

"For many years he was deacon of 
the Congregational church. He was 
one of the original founders of the 
Baptist church, which for some time 
met in his son's parlor, in the farther 
end of his house. He gave them land 
in his garden, on the corner of East 
Main and Lyman streets, for the 
erection of a church building. Here 
the First Baptist church was built, and 
the old stone step still marks the site. 

"He lived here nearly fifty [seven] 
years, all the time in the same house. 
He died with his ' honors thick upon 
him ' in 1821. 

"One of his memorandum-books is 



10 



bound in parchment, with a brass 
clasp. Although his commercial and 
legal pursuits were so closely connected 
with his medical life that it was not 
possible to entirely separate the ac- 
counts, yet this small volume is almost 
wholly devoted to his professional 
visits, the medicines he furnished, and 
the charges for both." 

Interesting details of bills are to be 
found in Mrs. Forbes' book. 

Among the Doctor's legal papers I 
found the following items: In 1783, 
Benjamin Warren appeared before him 
and complained of himself being guilty 
of uttering two profane oaths and was 
fined five shillings. In 1785. Elijah 
Ivunt, proved guilty of stealing, con- 
sented "to the punishment and was 
accordingly whipped five stripes on 
his naked back by the constable and 
committed for the cost of the trial." 

In 1802, Bezaleel Newton on com- 
plaint that he "did unnecessarily in 
said town travel on the 27th day of 
December last past, being Sabbath or 
Lord's day, against the peace and 
dignity of the Commonwealth of Mass- 
achusetts and contrary to a law of the 
same .... acknowledged the truth of 
the above said complaint by paying a 
fine of four dollars." 

We find many other papers of inter- 
est; one memorandum of 173 pages 
containing 108 marriages performed 
by himself, many of them, if not all, 
at the old house, between the years 
1782 and 1815. Also, some over 100 
printed summons to meet at "my 
dwelling house." Much of the court 
business of the town was done in this 
house. He settled estates, among them 
Mr. Stephen Maynard's, for whom he 
had done much business. Another 
book of 181 pages contains many fa- 
miliar names that we often heard in 
our childhood, mostly of his profes- 



sional visits and some business mat- 
ters. One deed of land was in the 13th 
year of George the 3rd. King, 1773, and 
another in 1788 in the 13th year of In- 
dependence of U. S. of America. One 
paper appointed Eli Whitney, student 
of Yale College, his lawful attorney to 
aid him in some business matters. We 
have his appointment as Justice of the 
Peace in the County of Worcester, at 
Boston, May 7, 1783, by his excellency's 
command, John Hancock. 

Many orders were given to him to 
collect pay for the school teachers, who 
boarded with the different families in 
the district. The poor were looked af- 
ter and their bills for board collected. 
There is an account of two pews struck 
off to him in 1793, with the price, 12^, 
18s, and 11^ lis. 

We find papers informing the militia 
what their duties were. Every able 
bodied man was required to take his 
part in the work. Musters were held 
at the corner of Eyman and East Main 
streets on the Forbush land. These 
were great days, large gatherings for 
Westborough. The old adage was, 
"Prepare for war in times of peace." 
Also, two warrants for minister's tax, 
in 1784 and 1789, the latter of "158 
pounds 9 shillings and 6 pence to pay 
the Rev. Mr, John Robinson his salary 
for the present year." It was signed by 
the assessors, Abijah Gale, Joseph 
Harrington and Thomas Andrews. 

It was in 1770, that a son, James 
Hawes, Jr., his only child, was born. 
When he was 19 years of age he 
attended school at Maiden, Mr, 
Adoniram Judson ( father of the great 
missionary) being teacher. In 1783, 
Mr. Judson preached as candidate in 
Westborough and boarded part of the 
time at Dr. Hawes', in the old house. 
Shelves are there today that were made 
at that time for his books, in the south 



chamber. I find Mr, Judson's bill for 
the son's board and tuition for 52 
weeks, dated May 26, 1789, for \9£, 
10 shillings, and receipted in full in 
1793. 

I find the following certificate: "This 
certifies that upon examination I have 
reason to believe that James Hawes, 
Jr,, of Westborough, is well qualified 
to teach an English school agreeably 
to the first part of an act of the gen- 
eral court of this state, made and 
passed June 25th, 1789. John Robin- 
son, Pastor of the church in Westbo- 
rough." 

He taught school in Boston. Some 
letters are preserved that he wrote 
while there. He married Hannah King 
of Wrentham in 1792, and brought her 
to his home. The house was then en- 
larged. The east front room and 
rooms back and the ell part were then 
added. The room in the ell he used as 
his room, called " the clock room." He 
was a wooden clock maker by trade. 
Seven children were born to him. Two 
died in childhood, James, 3rd, and 
Achsah. Five girls grew to woman- 
hood, but the name Hawes was lost to 
the town. 

Dr. Hawes' wife died in 1809, aged 
66. She was thrown down by a horse 
as she came out of church and lived 
but a few days. 

The son, James, Jr., died in 1813, aged 
43. In his death the Baptist church 
lost another earnest worker. He, with 
his close friend, Mr. Asa Haskell, were 
the first in town to profess their faith 
in baptism by immersion. They were 
coworkers in Christian work. I quote 
from the historical shetch of the Bap- 
tist church. " The names of the can- 
didates were James Hawes, Jr., and 
Asa Haskell, Sr. The former was a 
school teacher, a good singer, and had 
an excellent talent for exhortation 



and communicating Bible truths. Un- 
til 1813, the year of his death, he was a 
great help to the brethren. The latter 
also was held in high esteem and was 
licensed October, 1801, by the church 
in Sutton to preach the gospel. He 
improved his gift in the small Sabbath 
meetings which were established at 
the house of Mr. Hawes. His humble 
efforts were not in vain. A number 
acknowledged him to be the means of 
their conversion, among them a future 
deacon. He died in 1803." 

The first communion was held in 
this house in 1812. In the summer of 
1825, Rev. A. Judson, occupied the pul- 
pit for a number of weeks, he also 
having become a Baptist. A lady 
writes from Washington, a former 
member : "Mr. Judson must have been 
at that time at least 70 years of age, a 
man of imposing appearance and 
dignified bearing, and his courteous 
manners together with his powdered 
hair and shirt ruflles, made him appear 
a gentleman of the old school. He re- 
tained much of the energy and power 
that characterized his earlier days and 
gave universal satisfaction." 

About this time Dr. Hawes moved 
into the new part with his son's widow 
and children, taking his office furni- 
ture into his son's clock room, ( I re- 
member that when a small girl I busied 
myself spellingthe labels upon the little 
drawers of his medicine case), letting 
the old part of the house and land to 
different families after his son's death 
in 1813, as he was not able to care for 
the farm. He died in 1822, aged S2, 
and was buried in Midland cemetery. 

Those who have lived in this house 
were Abner Hardy, Holland Forbes, 
( Mrs. Forbes' mother died there, aged 
96. She was Col. Wheelock's daughter), 
Jacob Broaders (father of Hiram); 
he used the doctor's office for a shoe 



12 



shop; also Mr. Sanger, father of the 
two deaf and dumb boys. 

About 1830. Elijah Haskell, who 
had married Mary Hawes, moved to 
her old home, the place having- been 
divided among the heirs. The old part 
of the house was her portion with the 
land back, taking in part of the swamp. 
At that time buildings stood from the 
house facing the road, nearly to Mr. 
Rogers' land ; the corn barn stood near 
the house, two wood-sheds, then the 
chaise-house for the doctor's chaise, a 
small shed, then the big barn now back 
of the house, which was where Mr. 
Fay's house now is, ( it was built about 
70 years before it was moved ), a large 
cow yard in front, an old well of good 
water, and a large pond back of Mr. 
Rogers' house, called "Cook Pond." It 
had a boat upon it. I have eaten nice 
pickerel that were caught there before 
breakfast, and bushels of cranberries 
have been picked near by and sent to 
Boston. 

Mr. Rogers' laud was Sophia Hawes' 
portion. She married Edward Bellows. 
Their daughter married Charles Gil- 
more, who built Mr. Rogers' small 
house. The land to Water street, be- 
longing to Mr. Eamson, went to the 
other heirs who were soon married and 
left town. The doctor's land joined 
Judge Brigham's place — the Parkman 
place. There was no house between 
the Hawes place and the old parsonage, 
at the corner of High street. 

James Hawes Jr.'s widow and un- 
married daughter, Sarah, remained in 
the east part of the house until Mrs. 
Hawes' death in 1845, aged 76. 

Mary, who married Elijah Haskell, 
was born and married in the same 
east room, held her 50th anniversary 
there, and eight years after, her casket 
was placed upon the very spot where 
she stood to be married 58 years before. 

13 



She died at the age of 76 ; her husband 
at 90. 

The old Baptist meeting-house was 
removed to Woodville in 1836, the land 
reverting to the family according to 
the deed. Many meetings have been 
held in the old house — many good 
sermons preached. Cold evenings they 
would not open the meeting-house but 
come into the home, and Sunday noons 
the ladies would fill their foot-stoves 
with live coals so that they could be 
comfortable to hear another sermon, 
one hour and a half or two hours long. 
The meeting-house was built in 1815, 
but no stove was put into it until 1829. 
Many advent meetings were held in 
the house. 

In 1852 more changes were made. 
The large fireplace was bricked up (the 
old pipe hole is still there), a change 
in the rooms, new stairs, the old back- 
room and cheese-room taken down, 
the outside plastered, and other repairs 
made. 

There was one large chimney in the 
center of the house, which still re- 
mains, with a fireplace in every room 
around it, with flues extending to each. 
We kept our fires by burying the coals 
in ashes. One day the fire was out 
and the tinder box not in working or- 
der, so the little girls were sent to a 
neighbor, at the Forbush house, with 
the perforated tin lantern after fire. 
It was before Lucifer matches were 
heard of, we made our own by striking 
fire with a flint and steel. 

Elijah Haskell left the town for three 
years in 1836 to 1839. The reason was 
this: The town had voted to relieve 
the center school by taking one family 
from it to each district. Ours was set 
off to No. 3. But father said we should 
never go there and his word was law. 
The little girls felt badly. But our 
parents picked up a few things and 



Went to Boston. After three years in 
its better graded schools we came back 
rejoicing in the privilege we had had. 

In 1834 Dr. Rising came to town as 
a physician. He was first called to 
this house for his first work. Years 
after he remarked, " He would not 
think this place a healthy place, but it 
seemed it was by its record," 

Some have said "Why should a phy- 
sician settle so far out of the village ? " 
We forget there were few houses where 
the pretty village now is. This house 
was nearer the great turnpike, the 
stage route from Boston to Worcester, 
nearer the tavern (the Fisher place) 
where all the mail was left, nearer the 
old Wessonville church than the pres- 
ent village. 

There have been two vendues or 
public auctions in this house, one af- 
ter the doctor died when many of his 
old things were sold; another after 
Mrs. James Hawes, Jr., died, when 
more went, among them the old high 
settle (that stood between the outside 
door and the big fireplace) in which 
we used to sit comfortable. People 
did not value ancient things then as 
now. The old tall clock is still with 
us. As I look upon its familiar face 
and hear its musical voice, reminding 
us of our duties, it almost seems that 
it might communicate many things we 
would like to know, for it is associated 



with my earliest recollections. It 
stood, as I first remember it, in the 
corner of the East room and has been 
a reminder of the passing away of 
precious time and of the old verse : 

" The moments fly, 
A minute is gone ; 
The minutes fly. 
An hour is gfone. 
The day is fled, 
The nig'ht is here. 
Thus flies a week, 
A month, a 3'ear ; 
A life is passed. 
Our fathers, where are they? " 

Remembering some years since hav- 
ing heard that Dr. Hawes. my great 
grandfather, had left many papers and 
books in an old tea chest in the old 
garret, as useless, I found my way un- 
der the low roof and saw the large 
chest well filled. From these I have 
made the selections for this paper. As 
he left them in the old desk ( which es- 
caped the sale ) there were prohablj' 
more valuable papers, but the best 
may have been taken by the many de- 
scendants, now scattered in various 
places. 

This house has been in the possession 
of the Haweses for 143 years and every 
passer-by would easily believe this 
was " the old house." 

One of the seventh generation, 

Lydia Maria Brittanj 

July, 1908. 



14 




The John Fay House 



The John Fay House. 



In 1680 the General Court of Massa- 
chusetts granted and confirmed to the 
heirs of Governor Theophilus Eaton of 
Connecticut five hundred acres of land 
in consideration of the aid he had given 
the Massachusetts Colony. It com- 
prised the northern half of that part 
of Westborough now extending into 
Shrewsbury. About two years later 
the Eaton heirs sold this farm to John 
and Thomas Brigham and the two 
sons of their sister Mary, John and 
Samuel Fay. These latter had the 
northern third of the farm. Its east 
boundary, being the west line of old 
Marlborough, passed near a spring of 
water just southeast of the house of 
the calendar, where John Fay had his 
home. 

We have not the data to determine 
just when he built his house but prob- 
ably within a few years after 1700. 
The births of his four eldest children 
were recorded in Marlborough between 
1690 and 1700, and he may soon after 
the latter date moved to his farm out- 
side the town limits. In 1702 his name 
appears on a petition to be set off from 
Marlborough into a new town. In a 
deed from Peter Bent to John Fay 
dated March, 1709-10, the latter is said 
to be ' Living upon a Farm adjoining 
to the aforesaid Town of Marlbo- 
rough." This house was known as 
one of "the houses of the Fays," on 
the map of Chauncy and farms ad- 
joining, before the incorporation of 



the town in 1717. Judge Forbes' arti- 
cle on the Eaton grant in the History 
of "Westborough gives fuller details. 

The house itself from the rough 
sketch of it on the old map was origi- 
nally of one story of very modest di- 
mensions. The present house was 
built upon the same site about 1771, on 
the authority of Mrs. Susan A. New- 
ton, whose great grandfather, Benja- 
min Fay, then occupied it. The old 
house was probably joined to the new 
one as an ell. A careful inspection of 
certain parts of it as they appear today 
shows some signs of the original build- 
ing. The bull's-eye four-glass tran- 
som over the front door may have been 
used in the early structure. 

An inspection of the present build- 
ing shows a large stone foundation for 
the central chimney in the cellar, some 
15 feet square, with an arch in it 5 feet 
wide by 6 feet high and 9 feet deep. 
The cellar itself occupies the whole 
space under the house. The floor tim- 
bers are of hand-hewn oak as well as 
the framing of the roof, and are as 
sound as ever. Extensive changes 
were made in the house by the removal 
of the huge central chimney, enlarging 
the front hall and opening access 
through it to the back rooms. Three 
of the lower rooms still retain 
the old corner posts and the beams in 
tiie ceiling. The large ash trees in 
the front yard are judged to be at least 
160 years old. 



15 



The family of Fays early appears in 
the history of New England. A deed 
of upland and meadow recorded in the 
Middlesex Registry in 1669 from Peter 
Bent to David Fay is supposed by some 
to be the first mention of the name. 
Rev. Abner Morse, a compiler of the 
Fay genealogy, "has no doubt that 
David Fay was a common ancestor of 
the N. B. Fays." He was probably 
the father of John Fay. But O. P. 
Fay in his genealogy begins his list 
with the latter. 

This John Fay was born in England 
in 1648. He embarked on the ship 
Speedwell and arrived in Boston on 
June 27th, 1656. He was then but 
eight years of age, but was probably 
bound to Sudbury to meet some of his 
relations. In 1669 we find him in 
Marlborough, where he married and 
where his oldest children were born. 
During King Phillips war he went to 
Watertown and having survived his 
wife, married Mrs. Susanna ( Shat- 
tuck ) Morse, who was the mother of 
four children. 

His oldest son was the John Fay of 
our sketch. He was born in 1669, and 
married, in 1690, Elizabeth Wellington. 
Their first four children were born in 
Marlborough and the six others after 
he moved to his farm west of that 
town. His second marriage was to 
Ivevinah Brigham. 

"After the incorporation of West- 
borough he became one of its most 
prominent citizens and filled the prin- 
cipal offices." He was chosen town 
clerk at the beginning in 1718 and 
held that office for ten years. He was 
also town treasurer in 1722 ; select- 
man some twelve years between 1718 
and 1736 ; also moderator of town 
meeting in 1734. He was a large land- 
owner. Besides the third part of the 
Eaton grant of 500 acres, he held in 



1709 a " sixteen acre right in all the 
common and undivided Land of ye 
Town of Marlborough which will draw 
32 acres being the division granted to 
run double to the house lots," etc. In 
1728, David Goodenow sold him 350 
acres, bounded north by Edward 
Baker's land and west by Oliver 
Ward's. 

He first joined the Marlborough 
church. He served on the committee 
on the ministerial lot in Westborough 
in 1718, and was one of the first twelve 
members of the church there formed in 
1724. He was elected deacon in 1737. 
As an illustration of the admirable 
Christian spirit of the good deacon, an 
incident is given on page 95 of the 
Town History. He acknowledged on 
one occasion " his irregular conduct in 
attempting a speech to ye Congrega- 
tion," after the regular exercises, and 
confessed that " how zealously and in- 
nocently so ever it could charitably be 
supposed to be made, it was never ye 
less very impudent and of ill tenden- 
cy." He died Jan. 5, 1747-8, and was 
buried in Memorial cemetery, where 
his gravestone stands near the monu- 
ment. His estate was inventoried at 
some ^741, and "desperate debts" 
of ^57. 

Of his oldest son, John, we shall 
speak more fully in the sketch of the 
Jonathan Fay house. 

Of his youngest son, Stephen, Mrs. 
Forbes has told us the touching inci- 
dent of his patriotic devotion on his 
hearing of the death of his oldest son, 
John, in the Battle of Bennington, re- 
corded in the Parkraan Diary, page 15. 

The estate of the father passed to 
his son, Benjamin. This son was born 
in 1713. He was married in 1739 to 
Martha Mills. They had eleven child- 
ren. The oldest of these, Elizabeth, 
married Eli Whitney, and their eldest 



16 



son was Eli Whitney the inventor of 
the cotton-gin. By a second wife there 
were two sons. In his will he left his 
widow for her thirds ^^1114, various 
pieces of real estate and also the north- 
wardl)' part of dwelling house from 
bottom of cellar to top of garret— di- 
viding by middle of chimney " with 
certain privileges." Also, north end 
of barn, one-third part of pew and sta- 
ble at meeting-house. 

He left his eldest son, Benjamin, the 
whole of the remainder of real estate 
as per agreement with brother John 
and Stephen— in all 264 acres and 
buildings. 

With the family of this Benj. Fay, 
Jr., born 1744, who married Beulah 
Stow in 1772, we have come into close 
touch through the diary kept from 1809 
onward by one of his daughters, Eliza- 
beth, who married Dea. Luther Cham- 
berlain. From it we learn that in 
1840, "her daughter Eucy and Mr. 
George N. Sibley, her husband, re- 
moved from Grafton to Westborough to 
live on the farm which used to be the 
habitation of my forefathers." She 
also gives in detail the record of a 
" Family visit of the descendants of 
the late Mr. Benjamin Fay, July 3, 
1851." It may well be preserved here 
as presenting an interesting picture 
characteristic of those good old times. 
" This day our contemplated family 
visit took place. There were eight of 
us, five sisters and three brothers, met 
at the old mansion house, where we 
were nourished and brought up by the 
hand of our kind parents who lived to 
see eleven children grown to man and 
womanhood, the united age of the nine 
now living are 609 years. The whole 
number of the family now living, chil- 
dren and grandchildren and great 
grandchildren is 151. 



" Our brother Benjamin was on a 
bed of languishing and not able to be 
here with us. 

" In the first place, my son and 
daughter Sibley provided a good din- 
ner. After dinner we seated ourselves 
in the room where our dear Mother has 
so many times called us together to re- 
ceive from her lips religious instruc- 
tion and to recite to her the Assembly's 
Catechism. 

" When seated, Mr. Sibley read the 
hymn ' Blest be the tie that binds,' 
etc., which they sung. Then Dr. John- 
son made some remarks and read a 
piece of poetry composed by his wife 
for the occasion. Then Mr. Sibley 
read the 103rd psalm, which our mother 
repeated most of, when on her death 
bed. Then Brother James made some 
remarks and a prayer. Then we sung 
a hymn to the tune of Old Hundred : — 

' Come Christian brethren ere we part, 
Join every voice and every heart; 
One solemn hymn to God we raise, 
One final song of g-ratef ul praise. 
Christians, we here may meet no more 
But there is yet a happier shore; 
And there released from toil and pain, 
Dear brethren we shall meet again.' 

" Then Mr. Sibley read the fifth 
chapter of 2 Cor., brother William 
made some remarks and a prayer, then 
Dea. Cheever made some remarks and 
Dr. Gilmore and Mr. Sibley, and then 
the meeting was closed." 

It would be of interest if there were 
space to trace the many worthy de- 
scendants in this branch of the Fay 
family. We may note in passing the 
names of Rev. Solomon P. Fay and his 
cousin, Rev. Prescott Fay, and their 
second cousin. Rev. Hercules Warren 
Fay, in the fourth generation from the 
first Benjamin Fay. 

The estate passed in 1835 from 
Benjamin Fay, Jr., and others to 



17 



leather Chamberlain, his son-in-law, 
who left it in turn to his daughter 
L/Ucy, wife of George N. Sibley. 

The subsequent owners have been 
William Emerson, Charles E. Eddy, 



Silas A. Howe, M. and J. E. Henry, C. 
H. Gulliver, and Mrs. E. H. Moulton, 
the present owner. 

S. iNGERSOtI, BrIANT, 

September, 1908. 



The Samuel Fay House. 



The first house on this site was prob- 
ably built about the time that his 
brother John's of the previous sketch 
was built. At least two of his children 
were born in Marlborough. But the 
birth of Jeduthan, the fourth child, is 
given in the Westborough record in 
1707. So that he was probably living 
on his home farm before that date. 
The house was one of " the houses of 
the Fays " before the incorporation of 
the town in 1717. 

In looking over the premises for some 
signs that would indicate the age of 
the present house we find the double 
front door as it now appears with the 
finish about it, and the small entry 
with its winding stairway into which 
it opens indicate a very early con- 
struction. Also, the very narrow clap- 
boarding seen on the front of the first 
story furnishes a hint of what may be 
the original form of this building. 
The low studded rooms with their 
corner posts are like signs. The large 
central chimney stands on a base in- 
closed within stone walls 10 by 15 feet 
in length. The very many changes 
and additions in the arrangements of 
the rooms in later years prevent the 
identification of its original form. 

In a deed of it from Samuel Fay to 



his sou, Jeduthan, in 1733, it is digni- 
fied as "our mansion house." This 
son was then residing with his parents 
and the deed was given "in considera- 
tion that he shall take a dutifull child- 
like care of us, Samuel and Tabitha." 
The estate then included the 30 acres 
about the house and the 30 acres addi- 
tional on the south side of the road, 
" bounded east by Marlborough old 
line," with 24 acres of meadow by the 
river. 

It passed with various additions and 
exchanges from the farm north of it, 
from Jeduthan to his son, Jeduthan, 
Jr.,— one half by deed and the other 
half by will of the father dated 1786. 

Jeduthan, Jr., deeded it in 1802 to his 
son, Antipas Maynard Fay, — "'one 
undivided half ( that is the west half ) 
of my homestead farm on both sides of 
the county road to Grafton — said half, 
SO acres, with the west half of dwelling 
house and one half of cellar." 

We find the propert}' next in the pos- 
session of Joseph Brigham who deeded 
it in 1836, 125 acres on both sides of 
the road, to William Cheever. He sold 
it in 1870 to Miletus and J. E. Henry, 
and the latter in 1893 to Albert B. 
Ward, whose widow, Mrs. Roxana 
Ward, now holds it. 



18 




The Samup:l Fay House 



Of the personal history of the early 
occupants we have but meagre items. 
The builder of the house. Samuel Fay, 
was the third son of the John Fay who 
was born in England in 16i8. He was 
born in 1673 in Marlborough. He mar- 
ried Tabitha Ward in 1699. He and 
his wife offered themselves for baptism 
in the Marlborough church in 1701. 
He was one of the first inhabitants of 
Westboro igh after it was set off from 
Marlborough in 1717. He was chosen 
surveyor in 1718 to 1720 and held other 
minor offices. In " 1721 was Ty thing- 
man, which was in those days consid- 
ered a highly honorable position, and 
was given to none but men of sober 
character and good standing in the 
community." 

He had three sons and four daugh- 
ters. His eldest child, Rebecca, mar- 
ried William Nourse of Shrewsbury, 
whose farm, in 1741, was set off to 
Wes thorough. 

Of his eldest son, Samuel, Jr., the 
Fay genealogy says " He settled on his 
father's land in Southboro, where he 
had a family of 25 children recorded. 
This is the largest Fay family on 
record." Rev. Abner Morse says of 
him, " his first wife died after deliver- 
ing to him 14 children in 20 years, giv- 
ing him the privilege of marrying an- 
other wife which he was patriotic 
enough to embrace, by whom he had 
11 more." 

He was one of the two of whose 
children the historian said "before the 
forty-six had all made their debut, it 
became comically difficult to find Scrip- 
ture names, and the latest comers had 
to take what they could get." 

One of his granddaughters, Molly, 
who married Reuben Maynard. had 13 
children, born "all around the lot," it 
was said to indicate the many places 
where they had lived. Another grand- 



daughter, Elizabeth, married Nathan 
Bullard of Athol, a saddler, who was 
called " a wandering planet for he 
moved more than 40 times." They had 
13 children. The name of one son, 
Samuel, appears in the church records 
of Thompson, Conn., spelled "Phay," 
He had 12 children. The family reg- 
ister contains the names of at least 110 
grandchildren of Samuel Fay, Jr. 

He was in Mr. Parkman's parish. 
The Diary of Feb. 4, 1739, reads, 
"M^ Saml. Fay, jr's. Infant Child 
buryd." The Vital Statistics of the 
town gives the births of his children 
here. 

He had differences with his pastor. 
In 1738, when he called on him at the 
committee's request he found that he 
had no desire to see him, "His chief 
objection and offence against me", the 
record reads, " were what arose from 
my bringing in new singing and my 
wearing a wigg." When the pastor 
spoke of " his not coming down to see 
my brother when he called and of his 
keeping from seeing me in the pulpit, 
... he owned it with a laugh." 

The second son of the builder. Jedu- 
than, to whom the homestead descend- 
ed, married Sarah Shattuck, a half sis- 
ter of his brother Samuel's wife, Deliv- 
erance. They had 11 children. He 
removed to Grafton. His grandson, 
Antipas Maynard Fay, who came into 
posession of it in 1802, and was living 
in it in 1804, had married in 1803 
Margaret Willard, whose father, Ben- 
jamin, was a clockmaker, and brother 
of Simon and Aaron Willard, noted 
clockmakers of Boston. Their eldest 
sou, Benjamin Willard Fay, was the 
father of Jasper and Mrs. Jane (Fay) 
Nourse, whose families still dwell 
among us, and of George Augustus 
Fay, who resides in Grafton on the old 
homestead, now "EJlmsdale Farm." 



19 



The third son of Samuel Fay was 
Ebenezer, who settled in Sturbridge. 
He had 18 children. One of them, 
Jonathan, lived to be nearly 100 years 
old and his wife to be 100 years in full. 

But this must suffice. There is 



neither time nor space to detail here 
the record of the Fay family in all its 
branches. The dwellers in this one 
homestead have united in themselves 
the Fay, the Shattuck, the Ward and 
the Brigham blood. S. I. B. 



The Jonathan Fay House. 



There stood on the site of this house 
in early times another smaller one- 
story house. It is not on record when 
or by whom it was built, but probably 
by John Fay for his son, John, Jr. 
The lands that the father deeded to the 
son in 1828 may have included this 
site. 

Of the son, John Jr., little is known. 
He was born in 1700, and married in 
1721 one Hannah Child. He died in 
1732. Tradition says that he died in 
the woods while on an expedition 
against hostile Indians. He left five 
childen for whom his father was ap- 
pointed guardian. His estate, valued 
at $5000, was administered upon by his 
widow in 1738. She afterwards married 
Samuel L<yscomb of Southborough. 

The old house was occupied in 1758 
by his oldest son, Jonathan. It stood, 
probably, just in the rear of the 
house of the calendar. It is said that 
a roof or shed was built over it con- 
necting it as an ell to the new house 
when it was built. After many years, 
probably as late as 1852, this roof was 
removed and the old house which had 
been bought by Thomas Meighan, was 
moved to the lot on Hopkinton street 



which he had bought of P. H, Perrin, 
just west of St, Luke's cemetery. It 
stood there with some additions till it 
was burned one Sunday evening in 
August, 1864. 

The house before us was built by 
Capt. Jonathan Fay about 1774, It 
was a fine mansion for the time. It 
had a central front door opening into 
an entry with stairs at the back. The 
rooms on either side were high studded 
and remembered by its later occupants 
as spacious and well arranged. It was 
often visited by strangers as a house 
well worthy of special attention. In 
one of the front rooms was a spacious 
corner-sideboard long preserved in 
good condition. 

The southwest front chamber was 
noted for its occupancy by General 
Putnam, as related in a Memorial read 
at the Centennial of the Social Circle, 
in Concord, Mass., in 1882. Jonathan 
Fay, Jr., son of Capt. Jonathan, was a 
member of the above organization in 
1795. 

Of his father's Westborough home it 
is said, "It is remembered that General 
Putnam on his way to Cambridge in 
the Revolution, stopped at his house 



20 




The Jonathan Fay Housk 



over night, and the room he occupied 
is pointed out in the same condition 
now that it then was, — the walls cov- 
ered with figures of Birds and horses, 
painted black on a white ground — the 
birds as large as the horses." One 
who herself occupied this room in later 
years adds "and the horses had straight 
legs." When the walls were stripped 
of their paper the whitened surface 
still bore the stencilled figures in dark 
coloring upon them. The troops who 
were with the General were quartered 
in the large barn on the south side of 
the road. 

The majestic elms that graced the 
front lawn as they appear in our print, 
were set out, tradition has it, by the 
Captain and his wife on their wedding 
day. 

Of the destruction of the house by 
fire, the Chronotype of June 23, 1895, 
states that the alarm was given just af- 
ter midnight the previous Sunday. The 
barn on the opposite side of the road 
was evidently set on fire in the base- 
ment. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, who then 
occupied the house, were aroused by a 
neighbor. " If there had been a lad- 
der — if there had been water suffi- 
cient " — the house probably would 
have been saved. Most of the furni- 
ture was removed. The loss on the 
house was $3200 and $1100 on the con- 
tents. Two horses, twelve cows, thir- 
ty tons of hay, and all the farming- 
tools, wagons, etc., were burned. 

The site remained unoccupied till in 
1903, Wm. H. White of Brookline pur- 
chased it and erected thereon his mod- 
ern summer residence. 

Capt. Jonathan Fay, who built the 
house, was born in 1724. He married 
in 1746, Joanna Phillips, daughter of 
the founder of Andover Phillips 
Academy. He was a thrifty farmer, 
and a large land owner, though it can 

21 



hardly be true that he owned, as it is 
stated by one, "all the land from the 
village of Westborough to his house, 
two miles distant." 

In the French war he commanded a 
company and was under General 
Abercombie at Ticonderoga in 1758. 
In his mature years he filled many 
offices of trust. In 1768 he was on the 
committee for increasing the sittings 
in the old meeting house. In 1769 and 
in 1773 he was elected selectman of 
the town. He was through life on 
terms of intimacy and working with 
his pastor as Mr. Parkman's Diary 
abundantly shows. His horse was 
ever at the service of the pastor. 

He died in 1800, and his tombstone 
with those of his wife Joanna and 
their daughter Joanna, and of his wife 
Mary, may still be seen in the south- 
west part of Memorial cemetery. 

In his will, after directing that " the 
tripartite agreement made with my 
Beloved wife, I^ucretia, at our mar- 
riage be punctually performed," and 
that various small gifts be given to 
other children, it reads, "all the Re- 
mainder of my Estate both real and 
personal not disposed of I give to my 
son David." This son occupied the 
farm during his life and in the parti- 
tion of his property the real estate was 
divided between the widow who had 
" the West part of upright house, be- 
ginning at centre of the front door — 
thence direct through the centre of 
chimney to the wall of the middle 
room." etc., (a curious and elaborate 
specification of details) and the three 
daughters, Betsey, Patience and 
Nancy, who were given the rest — their 
brother David having quitclaimed his 
right to them. The whole estate was 
inventoried in 1828 at over $11,000. 

The property passed in 1848 to 1851 
from these heirs to Daniel H. Forbes, 



whose will in 1854 left it to his widow 
and their children. They deeded it in 
1855 to Joseph W. Forbes. Next, in 
1856, it was purchased of the latter by 
William Emerson. He sold it in 1860 
to Amos Goodell. In 1893 the Goodell 
heirs sold it to Michael E. Lyons who 
owned it when the house burned in 
1895. In 1903 Mr. Lyons sold some 
thirty acres, including the site of the 
house, to Wm. H. "White, in whose 
name it now stands. 

Of the personal history of the early 
members of the Fay family we have 
the following items of interest : 

After the death of his wife, Joanna, 
Capt. Jonathan Fay had married, in 
1789, Mary Goddard, and in 1798 he 
married again, Mrs. Lucretia Hamil- 
ton, who survived him and removed to 
Worcester. By his first wife he had 
seven children. The eldest son died 
while yet a babe. The second son, 
John, was a soldier in the Revolution 
and died unmarried in Littleton, Mass. 

The third son, Jonathan, Jr., is fre- 
quently mentioned in Mr. Parkman's 
Diary as calling to render services. 
As in 1775 he was a fellow student at 
Harvard College with the minister's 
son, Elias, he was often at the parson- 
age. In Jan. 21, 1775, the record is 
"Jonathan Fay was up here in the 
vacancy," ( that is the vacation at Har- 
vard). He graduated in 1778. In his 
frequent visits at the minister's he 
took great pleasure in the social gath- 
ering for singing with the family. He 
evidently had some musical abilitj' for 
on Sunday, Oct. 4, 1778, the pastor 
quaintly writes, '"No body to set ye 
Psalm, I was obliged to set it, after a 
poor manner, my Self." But in the 
second service he was relieved for 
" Senior Fay, p. m. set the Psalms." 

Jonathan, Jr., removed to Concord, 
Mass., where he married in 1776, Lucy 



Prescott, and settled as a lawyer. " He 
became quite eminent in his profes- 
sion " and of such integrity that he 
gained among his associates the title 
of " The Honest Lawyer." He was in 
the Legislature 1792 to 1796. 

It was a daughter of this Jonathan 
Fay, Jr., Joanna Phillips, who in 1710 
married Charles Parkman of Westbo- 
rough, a son of Breck Parkman. Thus 
the family was again identified with 
our town's history. 

Samuel Prescott Phillips Fay, the 
only son of Jonathan, Jr., was a grad- 
uate of Harvard in 1798. He first prac- 
tised law with his father and after- 
wards moved to Cambridge, where for 
35 years he was Judge of Probate for 
Middlesex County. 

Joseph Story Faj', the son of this 
Samuel, was a member of the Ameri- 
can Forestry Commission. His suc- 
cessful planting of a barren tract of 
200 acres at Wood's HoU with a fine 
growth of pines and other trees gained 
for him a wide acknowledgment. 

It was the son of the latter, Joseph 
Story Fay, Jr., a man devoted to com- 
mercial pursuits, whose generous con- 
tribution to the Publishing Fund of 
our Historical Society has enabled us 
to publish these sketches of the old 
landmarks. 

Through another son of Judge 
Phillips, Richard Sullivan, has de- 
scended in the third generation our 
former selectman, Richard Fay Parker. 

Returning to the fcLtnily of Capt. 
Jonathan Fay, we find his fourth son, 
David, who inherited the old farm, was 
the father of Otis Fay, whose home- 
stead was the Ferguson place, nearlj' 
opposite Adams street. Otis Fay was 
the grandfather of our village attorney, 
A. P. Wilson. 

The other children of Jonathan Fay, 
Jr., were two daughters, Joanna and 



22 




Till': Parkman 1'\\rmhr's Hoi bi; 



Hannah, and a son, Nahum, born in 
1768, and a graduate of Harvard Col- 



lege in 1790. and afterwards a physi- 
cian, S. I. B. 



The Parkman Farmer's House. 



The land on which this house stood 
was included in the farm of the Rev. 
Mr. Parkman, when he built his par- 
sonage in 1750 on the corner of the 
present High street. By his will, his 
real estate was left to his widow and 
children. In 1789 the legal heirs and 
their representatives, some fourteen in 
all, deeded all their rights in the es- 
tate, both land and buildings, to Elijah 
Brigham, who had married for his first 
wife Anna Sophia, the daughter of the 
old minister, and who had made his 
home at the parsonage according to 
his avowed intention at the time of his 
marriage, as Mr. Parkman quaintly 
records in his Diary. 

At Mr. Brigham's decease, Feb. 22, 
1816, the portion on which this house 
stood, with other land, was left to his 
daughter, Anna Maria Brigham, — "7 
acres and 29 rods, on the north side of 
said road, ( East Main street ), with the 
buildings and part of building there- 
on." She was the daughter of the 
wife Sarah, whose father was General 
Artemas Ward of Shrewsbury. She 
married, in 1818, E. M. Phillips. At 
her death it became the property of her 
son, Elijah Brigham Phillips, and her 
daughter, Mrs. Harriet Maria Clark. 
In 1894, it was deeded by them to Judge 
W. T. Forbes, who in 1899 sold it to 
the B. & A. R. R. Co., in whose name 
the estate now stands. 



We have no record of the time when 
this house was built or by whom. 
Mrs. Clark wrote, "She did not know 
surely about the house owned by her 
grandfather, Judge Brigham, but is 
inclined to think it was built by Mr. 
Parkman." If so. it must date before 
1782, when he died. There is some 
doubt whether it was built by him for 
his farmers' use. As far as we have 
read his Diary, he seems to have man- 
aged his farm work by himself with 
the aid of such men and boys as he 
hired, or who lived with him. In later 
years he was evidently burdened with 
the care it involved and let it out on 
shares. Under date of April 14, 1778, 
he wrote that Dr. Hawes took part of 
the place "to ye Halves." His farm 
extended north and west of his dwell- 
ing and comprised a large acreage. 

The earliest date we have of the 
house is when Benjamin Nourse was 
living in it. His eldest son. David, 
was born here, March 29, 1798. A 
younger son, Joseph Joslin, was the 
father of Dea. B. A. Nourse. 

We have learned, also, of a farmer of 
Judge Brigham's who lived here a lit- 
tle later. It was Jesse Rice, who mar- 
ried Sophia Newton in 1807, and this 
was probably their first home. A son, 
Charles P. Rice, was born in this 
house in 1809. He was the father of 
Mrs. Louise S. Kelley. 



23 



The fathers of Abner Bullard and 
Elijah Burnap are recalled among- later 
occupants. 

The house appears on the map of 
1855 as situated on the old road from 
High street north. When Prospect, 
now State, street was laid out it stood 
on the south side of it and on the op- 
posite north side of that street stood a 
cider mill. 

It was, as the cut shows, a plain one- 
story cottage — a very humble dwell- 
ing, with only a few living rooms and 
a shed in the rear. 

In its best days it must have been 
valued at but a few hundred dollars. 



It was assessed in these last years at 
§200. When torn down by the R. R. 
company in 1907, it had begun to show 
signs of decay and it was deemed hard- 
ly worth preserving. 

Fortunately the sketch of it was 
taken in season to preserve its form in 
its attractive surroundings. Its pic- 
turesque situation in the shade of the 
massive and towering elm that must 
have stood for more than a century, 
near its southeast corner, made it very 
noticeable and attractive to all who 
could appreciate its beautj'. 

S I. B. 



The Old Arcade. 



A Westborough building called, in 
its old age, The Old Arcade, was for 
one hundred and fortj' years, a promi- 
nent land-mark of the town. It was 
built in 1749, for the meeting-house of 
the first church formed in the town. 
It was their second meeting-house. 
The first one was built at Wessonville 
in 1718-33, on the hill near where now 
stands the tallest building of the 
Lyman School. It was a rough, barn- 
like structure, without porch, steeple 
or chimney. In that rude building, a 
church was organized October 28, 1724, 
and Ebenezer Parkman, a young man 
from Boston, was ordained and in- 
stalled as its minister ; and there he 
preached for twenty years, to a con- 
gregation made up of people from both 
Westborough and Northboroiigh, which 
then formed one town, Westborough, 



or, as it was called, the West Precinct 
of Marlborough. In 1744, this Pre- 
cinct was divided. The people of the 
northern part seceded from the church 
and built a meeting-house of their own 
in their village, now called Northbo- 
rough. This led the Westborough 
people to talk of a new meeting-house 
for themselves in the center of their 
town. And in 1748, it was voted in 
town-meeting "to build a new house on 
the north side of the country road 
where now a pine bush grows about 
twenty-five or thirty rods easterly 
from the burying place," which 
burying place is now the Memorial 
cemetery, opposite the town hall. At 
the same meeting, Edward Baker, 
Thomas Forbush, Josiah Newton, 
Francis Whipple and Abner Newton 
were chosen a building committee, and 



24 




THE ARCADI 



six hundred pounds, English money, 
old tenor, — equal to about twelve 
thousand dollars of our present day 
currency — was appropriated for the 
work. As there were then only one 
hundred families in town, this vote 
taxed them on an average, one hundred 
and twenty dollars a family. It was 
voted that the house should be 50 feet 
long, 40 feet wide, with 23 feet posts. 
In April, 1749, the work of building 
had so far progressed as to be ready 
for the " raising " — a great event, at 
that time, when all the big heavy tim- 
bers — such as were then used— of a 
whole broadside of a building were 
framed solidly together as they lay 
flat on the floor of the house-to-be, 
and then raised to their upright posi- 
tion by the brawny arms of all the men 
of the neighborhood or even of the 
whole town. The "raising" of an or- 
dinary dwelling house or a barn, 
seventy-five years ago, drew together 
a crowd of people almost equal to a 
cattle show. And, according to the 
custom of that day, a liberal supply of 
ardent spirits was always provided for 
the great occasion. The raising of a 
meeting-house was no exception to 
this rule. Accordingly, we read in the 
town records thatCapt. John Maynard, 
Lieut. Simeon Taintor and Ivieut. 
Abijah Bruce were chosen a committee 
"to take care to provide half a barrel 
of rum for the raising of the meeting- 
house." 

On September 3, 1749, the first pub- 
lic service was held in the new house, 
rough and unfinished as it was. But 
as the old house at Wessonville was 
being torn down to get the lumber for 
the new one, it was a case of necessity. 
Here, then, we see the church with 
their beloved pastor established in a 
new home, where Dr. Parkman 
preached till his death occurred in 1782. 



Although the meeting-house was oc- 
cupied, as before stated, in 1749, it was 
far from being finished. As yet, there 
were no pews, no pulpit, no porches, 
no heaven-pointing steeple. Three 
years later, in 1752, we read in the 
Town Records that the town "voted to 
build the pulpit, the ministerial pew, 
and to sell the pews." By '"selling 
the pews "was meant — so it seems 
from the record — selling a square 
space marked off on the floor, called in 
the records a *' pew-spot," on which the 
purchaser might build a pew to suit 
himself. The town gave a deed of the 
" spot " with all the legal formality of 
a house-lot of land. The " pew spots " 
were located around the walls of the 
room, while the middle of the floor was 
occupied by two rows of benches, one 
row on each side of the broad aisle,— 
one row for men, the other for women . 
The square pew-spots were enclosed 
by board partitions which were sur- 
mounted by an ornamental railing, or 
balustrade. The choice "spots " each 
sold for more than one hundred dollars. 
The poor people who filled the benches 
must have looked with many envious 
eyes upon the occupants of the pews, 
taking their ease upon their cushioned 
seats, some of them even reclining in 
rocking chairs. The balustrade was, 
at times, both hurtful and useful. The 
story is told of a youngster, who grow- 
ing uneasy under the two-hour sermon, 
fashionable at that time, worked his 
head between the balusters in such a 
way that he could not get it out again. 
Consequently, the services were sadly 
interrupted by his howls of anguish. 
But the old men found the same bal- 
ustrade a source of great comfort. One 
of them said that he could lock his arm 
into it in such a way that he had no 
fear of falling off his seat while he 
slept through the long sermon. He de- 



25 



Glared that he v>rould never g-o to church 
iu the new meeting--house which had 
no balustrade on the pews. 

In 1773, the congregation had become 
so large as to make it necessary to en- 
large the house and the town voted to 
choose a committee "to go and view 
some meeting-house that had been cut 
in two and a piece put in the middle." 
That committee reported in favor of 
enlarging the house in that way, 
whereupon the town voted "to split 
the meeting-house and put in fourteen 
feet." At the same time it was voted 
"to build three porches," which porches 
are still in existence. One of them 
forms a part of the Arnold house on 
Heath street ; another, a part of the 
Wilson house on Boardman street ; the 
other one is found in the small house 
on the Blake place on West Main street. 

Another relic of the Old Arcade is 
preserved in the museum of the West- 
borough Historical Society. It is the 
large circular window which orna- 
mented the eastern gable. Some of 
the old oak timbers were used by Mr. 
B. B. Nourse in making one of the 
bookcases of the society. 

The church, under a number of dif- 
ferent ministers, continued to occupy 
the house till 1836. But for several 
years previous to that date, so much 
dissension had been growing out of the 
Unitarian controversy, that, in 1833, 
a division of the church was brought 
about. Those members who still held 
to the old doctrines, called themselves 
Evangelicals and proceeded to build a 
third meeting-house at the corner of 
Main and Church streets, into which 
they moved in 1836, and which they 
still occupy. The Unitarians were 
left in possession of the old church 
which they sold in 1837 to be used for 
stores, offices and shops with the new 
name of the " Old Arcade." And so it 



continued to be used for buainess pur- 
poses till 1891, when, old, unsightly, 
and out of repair, it was torn down 
and gave place to the fine new 
Arcade Block which now occupies its 
site. 

Of course there was much opposi- 
tion to its demolition on the part of 
many of the older people of the town. 
The dear old building was associated 
with the most dear and cherished 
memories of their whole lives. Re- 
ligious and patriotic sentiments begged 
hard to spare it, — to preserve it as a 
sacred relic. But Yankee enterprise 
and business rush turn a deaf ear to 
sentiment when sentiment blocks the 
way to trade. So the Old Arcade h?.d 
to go and is now only a fading memory 
of a past age. 

One very interesting relic of it, 
however, still remains, nameU', the 
church bell. When first built, the 
church had no belfry or steeple. But 
in 1801, one of Dr. Parkman's sons, 
Samuel, who had become a prosperous 
business man in Boston, made the 
church a present of one of Paul 
Revere's fine-tone bells. This gift 
made the church feel the want of a 
belfry which the town immediately 
voted to build. The bell was soon 
raised to its place and called the people 
to church and town meeting there till 
1837, when the house was sold. The 
bell soon afterwards found its place in 
the new Baptist church, where it still 
hangs and sends out its sweet tones, 
every Sunday morning, over the vil- 
lage, calling upon all the people to as- 
semble for the worship of God. It has 
continued to do this good work for 
over one hundred years. 

One more relic must be mentioned, 
namely, the town clock, which from 
1806 to 1842 marked time for the village 
from the tower of the church. Since 




The Brigham Tavern 



1842 it has done the same good service 
from the tower of the town hall. 

The old Arcade answered the double 
purpose of church and town hall. So 
it was for almost one hundred years 
the center of the religious and political 
life of the town. As such, it was a 
very dear object to all the people. Its 
walls had echoed to the patriotic 
speeches which were inspired by the 
Revolutionary war; and from its doors, 
the greater part if not all the three 
hundred men of the town, who did 
military service in that war. had 
marched forth with the fatherly ad- 
vice, the patriotic exhortation and the 
pastoral benediction of Dr. Parkman. 

For almost one hundred years its 
walls had resounded with the preach- 



ing of the hard theology and the steru 
doctrines of a rigid Calvinism, which, 
however much it is ridiculed by the 
people and ignored by the pulpit now- 
a-days, did. it must be admitted by all, 
a wonderfully great and good work at 
that time in raising up a strong and 
vigorous generation of men and women 
who laid deep and wide the foundation 
of the best government of the civilized 
world, who established schools and 
colleges, and founded benevolent, phil- 
anthropic and charitable institutions 
which have made our country well 
worthy to be named " God's Own 
Country," as it is so fondly called by 
all returning travelers, 

G. S. Nbwcomb. 
Sept. 12, 1908. 



The Brigham Tavern. 



One would hardly think of associat- 
ing Union Building on South street, 
with a famous tavern of seventy-five 
or more years ago. 

Such at least a part of it was when 
joined to the present Westboro' Hotel. 

Some of the narrow clapboards on 
the south end are still in good condi- 
tion, and inside can be seen the old 
floors in chambers and hall ; a few of 
the narrow windows, and the cornices, 
wainscoating and corner-posts in the 
upper front rooms. 

Though not the oldest in town this 
tavern was known as Tavern House or 
Gregory Inn, and there in 1807 fifteen 
leading men of the town met and or- 
ganized "The Union Library Society," 



which lasted until 1839 when it was 
merged in the Mechanics Association, 
and in 1857 the library was transferred 
to the town, becoming the nucleus of 
our public library. 

In the appraisal of Elijah Brigham's 
estate in 1816 we find : 

"One acre with dwelling house, barn 
and shed, called the tavern house and 
is now occupied as such by Daniel 
Gregory, owned in common by Breck 
Parkman and heirs of E,. Brigham . . . 
we divide through centre of front door 
and assign all north of said line to 
heirs of E. Brigham and set to Sally 
Brigham, daughter, one-half of Tavern 
House and land." 

This Elijah Brigham was son-in-law 



of Kev. Ebenezei- Parkman, and 
brother-in-law of this Breck Parkman. 

Daniel Gregory's daughter, Abigail, 
married (September 3, 1817) Lowell 
Mason, the well known music com- 
poser. 

Daniel Gregory's son, John, married 
(October 31, 1821) Sally, daughter of 
Elijah Brigham, the Sally to whom 
half of the tavern was set off, so the 
Brigham's and Gregory's were con- 
nected by marriage. 

But now we find another Brigham 
purchasing the tavern. 

In 1823 (April 1) Breck Parkman 
sells to Dexter Brigham his "South 
half of house and estate on which he 
(Dexter Brigham) now dwells," and 
three years later the records show that 
( January 1, 1826 ) John Gregory, brick- 
layer, Charlestown, and Sally ( Brig- 
ham) Gregory, wife, sold to " D. Brig- 
ham innholder 2 acres with building on 
same, whereon the said Dexter now 
lives." 

We have no traditions of the inn in 
the time of the Gregorys. Doubtless 
there were merrymakings and inter- 
esting enough happenings, but, unfor- 
tunately, no one thought enough of 
them to hand them down to posterity, 
and no one is living today to tell us of 
those times. 

But of the time when it was known 
as the Brigham Tavern there are many 
interesting things to be told. 

I have in ray possession an article 
written by my brother years ago for the 
" Worcester Spy,'' and as the material 
for this article was obtained from an 
interview with Mrs. Brigham, and 
from personal recollections of my fath- 
er, I cannot do better than to quote 
it at length. 

'• A half century ago the average 
New England town had no institution 
of more general interest than the 'vil- 



lage tavern ' or 'public house,' It was 
more than a temporary abiding place 
for the traveler, for the citizen of the 
town had a certain consciousness of 
proprietorship which does not apply to 
the hotel of the present day. The land- 
lord and landlady were in many cases 
looked upon as official characters, and 
their manner of dispensing hospitality 
had, seemingly, less of a commercial 
flavor than that which characterizes 
the modern host. 

"Fifty years ago ' Brigham Tavern' 
was among the famous public houses 
ill this part of the state. 

'♦ Mr. Dexter Brigham purchased the 
hotel property and business in 1821. 
(the record shows in 1823-1826) and for 
28 years thereafter was its popular 
landlord. The tavern stood a few rods 
south of the present Westboro' Hotel, 
facing the highway now known as 
South street. 

"The house was a square two-story 
structure, with the main entrance in 
the centre, and a hallway running 
through to the rear. On the right of 
the entrance was the public parlor,and 
in its rear the family sitting-room ; on 
the left was the bar-room, back of that 
the dining-room, and the kitchen was 
a one-story projection built on the 
rear. On the second floor the main 
apartment was ' the hall,' the scene of 
many a merry-making, where young 
and old were wont to assemble to en- 
joy the festivities incident to a dance 
or supper party." 

[Mrs. Harriet M. Clark, daughter of 
E. M. Phillips, recalls the many good 
times she had had in that old tavern. 
She remembers the dance hall, that 
had seats all around the room, much 
like those at "Wayside Inn, Sudbury. 
Mr. Brigham's three oldest children 
were her playmates.] 

" Two partition frames were fast- 



28 



ened by hinges to the ceiling, and 
when there was an extra demand for 
lodging accommodations these were 
dropped to the floor, thus securing a 
division of the space into three apart- 
ments. About three years after Mr. 
Brigham purchased the house, he en- 
larged it by an addition on the north 
side, when the new front corner apart- 
ment was taken for the bar-room, and 
a separate entrance, with porch, was 
provided. 

" The bar-room was headquarters for 
the male populatian of the village, and 
here the political and social problems 
of the day were discussed by candle- 
light, the local congregation often 
being augmented by such of the trav- 
eling public as chanced to be in that 
pleasant harbor for the night. Liquors, 
wine and cider, were in those days dis- 
pensed freely, and Mr. Brigham fre- 
quently laid in forty barrels of cider 
for his winter's store. 

" This was previous to the opening 
of the Boston & Worcester Railroad, 
and all travel was by carriage. Heavy 
teams were constantly passing between 
Boston and the towns in this vicinity 
and with the teamsters there was no 
more popular place than ' Brigham's, ' 
at which to spend the night. 

"The barn then stood north of the 
tavern, and in common with all barns 
connected with the public houses of 
that day, was built so that large 
wagons could drive through, the car- 
riageway not being floored. Mr. 
George W. Parker was for a time em- 
ployed b3' Mr. Brigham as hostler, and 
subsequently he entered into partner- 
ship with the latter in conducting the 
livery business. 

" Mrs. Brigham was exceptionally 
efficient and satisfactory in the man- 
agement of her department, and had 
an enviable reputation for skillfulness 



in cookery. On ' Lection Day ' and 
' March Meeting Day ' her cake was in 
great demand ; not only was an im- 
mense quantity required for consump- 
tion at the tavern, but it was purchased 
by the heads of families to carry home 
as a luxury for wives and children. 
Cake and sherry wine were daily called 
for as a lunch, and for many years 
there was a large sale of sponge cake 
on Sundays during the noon recess. 

" In winter, after a heavy snow fall, 
the farmers living most remote from 
the village would start out to ' break 
roads,' and being reinforced by volun- 
teers at every house, would enter the 
village with a team of twenty or more 
yokes of oxen. These men were re- 
garded as public benefactors, and on 
such occasions the ' creature comforts' 
were dispensed gratuitously at tavern 
and store. 

" The Boston & Worcester Railroad 
was opened to Westboi-o' in October, 
1834, and until the following summer 
the town was the western terminus of 
the line. During the few months that 
Ashland, then known as Unioaville, 
was the terminus, Mr. Brigham ran a 
coach daily to and from the latter 
point via. Hopkinton. About this time 
the house was again enlarged, the ex- 
tension being, as before, on the north 
end, and one of the two square rooms 
thus gained on the lower floor was af- 
terward called the ' railroad waiting 
room,' no provision being made for 
passengers at the station originally 
built. Piazzas were built on the new 
section of the tavern, an entrance was 
located midway, aud a long entry or 
hall ran back to the original hallway, 
with which the west entrance commu- 
nicated. After this enlargement the 
north end of the house appeared sub- 
stantially as does the front of the 
main building today. 



" The occasion of the arrival of the 
first railway train from Boston was a 
day long to be remembered by those 
who were present. It was a general 
holiday; the people donned their Sun- 
day clothes and gave themselves up 
unreservedly to enjoyment. Visitors 
came by carriage from the neighboring 
towns, and from Worcester came a 
party, conspicuous among whom 
' Squire Burnside ' is remembered. On 
the train from Boston were some forty 
or fifty prominent men and railroad 
officials. No formalities had been ar- 
ranged, but the enthusiasm of the 
Westborough people must have digni- 
fied expression ; and who but ' Squire 
Harrington ' the village magistrate, 
could do the honors ? His speech was 
impromptu and brief, and perhaps was 
never recorded entire, but this detached 
and eloquent utterance of the 'Squire's' 
seems destined to immortality ; ' We 
look for Boston I When lo ! and behold! 
Boston is here ! ' 

"A response to this address was 
made by Mr. Wm. Jackson of Newton, 
a civil engineer who adjusted land 
damages in the interest of the railroad 
corporation. The people were then 
invited to ride a few miles down the 
track, and the primitive coaches of 
various designs, were quickly filled to 
overflowing, the more venturesome 
youngsters even swarming on the 
roofs of the cars, and all were carried 
who could possibly gain a foothold. 
The short run was made at a slow rate 
and on the return trip, with an up 
grade, the locomotive was barely able 
to move the heavy freight. 

" Brigham's tavern did an immense 
business on that memorable day, and 
the amount of liquids consumed was 
enormous. The Worcester party 
brought a liberal supply of champagne 
and when night came on, a large pro- 



portion of the participants in the cele- 
bration doubtless had somewhat con* 
fused ideas of railroading. After this 
date Mr. Brigham discontinued the 
sale of liquor and his establishment 
was called a 'temperance house,' 
although during the next few years 
wine and cider were sold moderately 
for this practice was not then con- 
sidered inconsistent with temperance 
principles ; finally no liquid more 
potent than coffee was sold at the 
house. 

" During the nine or ten months that 
Westboro' was the railroad terminus, 
the tavern business was greatly in- 
creased by the movements of the 
various coaches, which connected with 
teams to and from Boston. The Wor- 
cester and Dudley stages made one or 
two trips each way daily, and their 
passengers usually dined at the house. 
One of the Worcester stages was driven 
by a man named Taylor, who an- 
nounced his approach by the clear 
notes of a bugle horn. 

" Trains were at that time very un- 
reliable in their trips, and as the 
crudely constructed locomotives fre- 
quently became demoralized, horses 
were kept at each station to be used 
for motive power in an emergency. 
The freight accommodations were ex- 
ceedingl)' limited, and as there was no 
surplus of cars, all freight was un- 
loaded on the ground,the train waiting 
meanwhile. Merchandise purchased 
in Boston, for towns in this vicinity 
was shipped by rail to Westboro, and 
thence taken by team to its destina- 
tion. It was no uncommon sight to see 
hogsheads, barrels and packages of 
goods lying about 'the common' for 
days, awaiting transportation to 
neighboring towns. 

" For many years Brigham's Tavern 
was a famous place for securing a 



30 



royal supper. The driver of the Wor- 
cester stage often brought the an- 
nouncement that a party from that 
city would drive down toward eve- 
ning, and Mrs. Brigham was warned 
that a hearty supper and a generous 
supply of her ' mulled wine ' would 
be consumed. Among the frequent 
visitors from Worcester are recalled 
the names of Braman, Lincoln and 
Sears. The young people of the vil- 
lage, too, thought no sleigh-ride com- 
plete unless they returned to the tavern 
for one of Mrs. Brigham's suppers and 
a dance in the old tavern hall. 

" Previous to the opening of the rail- 
road to Westborough, Hopkinton 
Springs had become a popular summer 
resort for invalids and others, and af- 
ter that date the travel to and from the 
Springs was via. Westboro', a coach 
connecting with every train. Both go- 
ing and coming the patrons of the 
Springs Hotel usually stopped at Brig- 
ham's, and not a few finally prolonged 
their stay for days and weeks. At 
times the mosquitoes of the springs 
were declared bj^ visitors to be intoler- 
ably' numerous and familiar, and many 
preferred the livelier surroundings of 
Westboro' village. Mr. Brigham kept 
a supply of the spring water, which he 
supplied to guests in any quantity de- 
sired, either for drinking or bathing. 

"The house was then at the zenith 
of its prosperity, and its patrons in. 
eluded many people of note. Among 
the Boston people who are remembered 
as regular patrons were Harrison Gray 
Otis, Major Ben Russell, editor of the 
Boston Statesman, whose frequent use 
of a heavy silver snuff box attracted 
general attention ; Wm. Phillips, a 
wealthy resident of Beacon Hill ; Jere- 
miah Hill, a retired tea merchant; James 
Blake ( of Kittredge & Blake, furniture 
dealers ) whose wife boarded at the 



house 21 consecutive seasons ; Dr. 
Abraham T. Ivow, president of the 
bank now known as the First National 
of Boston ; Messrs. Nichols & Whitney, 
merchants on India Wharf ; Samuel 
Greeley, a director of the Boston & 
Worcester Railroad, and Nathan Hale, 
president of the railroad for 19 years, 
and also the proprietor of the Boston 
Advertiser ; the latter gentleman often 
visited Westborough, and was fre- 
quently accompanied by his sons, who 
were profuse in their praises of Mrs. 
Brigham's mince pies. Among other 
guests of the house were Captain Rob- 
inson of the navy, whose wife was a 
daughter of Major Ben Russell ; Wm. 
Jackson of Newton, a railroad official, 
subsequently a member of congress 
and Mr. Curtis ( afterwards superin- 
tendent of the railroad ) who was killed 
a few years later by striking his head 
against a bridge column as he leaned 
from a car window when the train 
was entering Boston. The Howlanda 
of New Bedford are also remembered, 
and Salem and Charlestown were rep- 
resented among the regular patrons. 

" Among the minor periodical events 
recalled were the visits of the Quakers, 
who came from Bolton and other 
points, in chaises, and who stopped at 
the tavern to lunch, and bait their 
horses while en route to and from the 
'quarterly meetings,' then held at 
Providence ; their appearance was in- 
variably looked upon as a precursor of 
rain. 

"Hot coffee was always kept pre- 
pared after the traffic in liquor was 
abandoned, and small cakes, sold for 
six cents, were kept on the bar-room 
counter, while for a heartier lunch the 
standard mince-pie was certain to be 
required. 

On the day of the inauguration of 
President Harrison, March 4th, 1841, 



a ' whig supper ' was held at the tavern. 
This was attended by young and old of 
both sexes, and many of the younger 
people present still remember it as an 
noteworthy occasion. 

" The history of the house would be 
incomplete without a reference to the 
railroad accident of June 17, 1840. A 
special train from Boston was heavily 
loaded with people on their way to a 
political convention at Worcester, and 
when rounding the curve near the 
bridge which spans the railroad about 
two miles west of this village, it col- 
lided with a down train. The locomo- 
tives were driven together with such 
force that they were with difficulty 
detached, and many passengers were 
injured, but none fatally. The wounded 
passengers were brought to West- 
borough village, and the tavern was 
converted into a temporary hospital ; 
several surgeons chanced to be of the 
party, and these rendered timely ser- 
vice. Among the wounded was the 
son of Ostenello, the celebrated leader 
of the orchestra at the old Tremont 
Theatre in Boston. 

" Soon after the collision, a second 
train bound for Worcester reached 
Westborough and as the track was ob- 
structed at the scene of the disaster, 
this was detained at the station. This 
greatly augmented the already large 
company gathered, and the demand 
made upon the tavern was unpreced- 
ented; its resources were never more 
severely taxed, and the wants of the 
crowd were supplied so far as possible, 
but private citizens were obliged, to 
some extent, to minister to the material 
wants of the multitude. 

♦•In 1849 the original portion of the 
tavern building was moved a few rods 
south, and remodeled for a private res- 
idence, into which Mr. Brigham re- 
moved with his family, and the hotel 



business was sold to a Mr. Bolles." 

Mr. Brigham died in 1870 and Mrs. 
Brigham in 1889, only two months af- 
ter the sudden death of her daughter, 
Mary A. Brigham, the newly elected 
president of Mt, Holyoke College. 

I am fortunate, also, in being able to 
give extracts from a recent letter from 
Mrs. Sarah L,. Hill, daughter of Mr. 
and Mrs. Brigham, and the only sur- 
viving member of the family. She 
writes : 

"I must have been about seven years 
old when the old hotel, which I think 
was called the Gregory house, was 
separated from the newer part which 
my father added, and which is now the 
Westborough Hotel, and that would 
have been in '52 or thereabouts. 

" I do remember the strange sight of 
the carpenters sawing through the 
roof where the old and new parts joined 
and that people came to see the odd 
work. Also the open side of the house 
exposing the rooms from attic to 
ground. As I recall those days when 
we lived there my memories are all 
personal, of being kept waiting beyond 
my bedtime and falling asleep in the 
great kitchen when everybody was 
hurrying about getting up a late sup- 
per for a sleighing party or a dance. 

" It seems to me the house was vari- 
ously named the Stage Tavern, the 
Railroad House and later the Hotel. 

" You see how little of interest there 
would be in the memories of a child, 
only indeed of the family happenings. 
My mind has a kaleidoscopic vision of 
election days, and firemen's musters, 
or Sundays and holidays, when many 
people were in and out getting luncheon 
and dinners, when the great brick oven 
had been heated and good pies and 
cakes, baked beans and brown bread, 
had issued forth delicious in odor and 
beautiful in form. Also of Thanks- 



32 



giving when the family all came home, 
and others, relatives and friends, came 
in the evening for supper and games. 

"Our old house which became a 
straw shop, and of which there is such 
a good picture in the calendar was 
originally the house of the Gregory 
family and I think must have been the 
tavern before my father bought it." 

Mrs. Hill alludes to the building 
which after passing through the 
various changes from the Gregory Inn, 
to the Brigham Tavern, from the 
Brigham Tavern to the family home of 
the Brighams, then to a straw shop, is 
now known as Union Building. 

In the year 1866 it was evidently sold 
by Mr. Brigham to Messrs. Snow & 
Fellows, and occupied by them for a 
straw shop, or hat factory, and from 
1870 to 1872 by Messrs. Snow & Hewins, 
after which it came into the possession 
of Messrs. Henry & Biscoe, and is now 
owned by their heirs, and used for 
stores and tenements. 

The following have been landlords 
of the Gregory Inn, Brigham Tavern 
and Westboro Hotel ; — 

Daniel Gregory, Dexter Brigham, 
Andrew J. Bolles, Samuel H. Brown, 

Rigley, Thomas Tucker, Rollin K. 

Sherman, James Martin, Ainsworth & 
Chase, Henry h. Chase, George E. 

Thayer, Williams, William B. 

Adams, William H. Sullivan, George 
S. Smith, and J. F, Hill who has been 
the landlord for the past eleven years. 



While Mr. Chase was landlord from 
1881 to 1885, Westboro was seeing 
some of her most prosperous times, as 
it was then the National Straw Works 
were employing so many people, and 
another addition was made to the hotel 
being called " the annex," providing 
for dining-room and billiard-room 
down stairs and sleeping-rooms on the 
second floor. At this time there were 
as many as one hundred and twenty- 
five regular boarders besides transients. 

Within a year or so while repaper- 
ing a room (No. 3) on the second floor 
of the building, a painting was dis- 
covered on the plastered wall. 

The scene represented a view of a 
farm-house with orchard, ploughed 
ground, cat-tails, etc. The name of 
" Brigham " being discernible it is 
supposed to have been the artist's 
name, but no one seems to know more 
about it. 

Of the ownership of the Westboro 
Hotel from the time it was sold by Mr. 
Brigham in 1853, the assessors' reports 
give the following : 

1853-1854 Otis F. Vinton and others. 

1855-1872 Davis & Bullard. 

1872-1876 Cobb & Raymond. 

1876-1880 Chas. D. Cobb. 

1880 Hosea H. Spaulding. 

The property is now owned by Mr. 
Spaulding's daughter, Mrs. Katherine 
Winchester. 

Emma S. Nourse. 

September, 1908. 



33 



The Governor Davis Birthplace. 



The Davis family traces its lineage 
from the early English stock. 

Dolor Davis came in 1634 from Kent 
County, England, and was granted 25 
acres of land west of Charles River, 
and a village lot of one-half rood in 
New Towne, ( now Cambridge, near 
Harvard Square). His family came 
the next year. 

Then he sold his holdings (at the 
time so many sold in New Towne ) and 
moved toward Cape Cod. Dolor Davis 
was in Barnstable in 1643 ; in Concord 
in 1655 ; returned to Barnstable in 1669 
and died there probably about 1673. 

In the Northboro line his son, Sam- 
uel Davis, made his home in Concord. 
His grandson, Lieut. Simon Davis, 
moved to Rutland and thence to Hol- 
den where he was an inn-keeper and 
held responsible town offices. 

Simon Davis, Jr., of the next genera- 
tion, was a farmer in Rutland, and the 
father of Isaac Davis who came to 
Northboro. 

Governor John Davis was the sev- 
enth child and youngest son of Isaac 
Davis. Here in this old house he was 
born January 13, 1787. Here he passed 
his infancy and early school days ; 
only his youth, though three genera- 
tions of his relatives lived here. He 
early left his old home for college ; for 
the study and practice of law, and to 
fill public offices till the end of his 



days, and so worthily that he won the 
title of " Honest John." 

He graduated at Yale in 1812 ; mar- 
ried the sister of George Bancroft ten 
3'ears later ; was a member of the Wor- 
cester school board the next year, and 
a representative to the U. S. Congress 
a year later. Four times he was re- 
elected to congress ; then, in 1833, was 
elected governor of Massachusetts and 
reelected the following year. In 1835 
he was chosen U. S. Senator from 
Massachusets. In 1840 and again in 
1841 was elected governor of Massa- 
chusetts. Defeated for that office in 
1842, he was chosen U. S. Senator in 
1845 ; elected U. S. Senator in 1847 ; 
retired in 1853, and died April 19. 1854. 

Isaac Davis, the father of Governor 
Davis, was chosen delegate to a con- 
vention, August 7, 1786, at Leicester, 
Mass., and was instructed to advocate: 
1st, That the Court of Common Pleas 
be abolished. 2d, That the whole body 
of Lawyers be annihilated. 

It was only a few months till John 
Davis was born, destined to become a 
lawyer, and but twelve years till an- 
other Isaac, a grandson of the first 
Isaac, was born, to become a lawyer 
also. Contemporaneous practitioners 
they both lived in Worcester, the first 
near Lincoln Square and the second at 
the south end. 

In the spring of 1842, when Charles 




Gov. Davis' Birthpi^ace 



Dickens and his wife, in the collection 
of American Notes, visited this coun- 
try, they were entertained at the home 
of Gov. Davis in Worcester. That 
Sunday the church of Dr. Hill, adjoin- 
ing- Worcester Court House, was 
packed with people to hear the Gospel 
and see Dickens in the Governor's pew. 
But that pew remained empty. Then 
the other Davis lawyer issued invita- 
tions to Mr. and Mrs. Dickens and to 
the" elite of Worcester to attend an eve- 
ning party at his house, much to the 
delight of Col. Isaac's townsmen. 

Before considering further the occu- 
pants of this Davis home in Northboro 
let us glance at the earlier ownership 
of the property. 

The proprietors of the Marlboro 
Town Grant of 1660 assigned to Samuel 
Rice land in Middle Meadow Plain 
north of the Assabet river. Samuel 
Rice bequeathed to his son Edward 
Rice who sold to Isaac Tomlin in 1734. 
Tradition says that Isaac Tomlin built 
the house — "The Governor Davis Birth- 
place." When Isaac Tomlin died in 
1745 his estate was appraised at 1487;^, 
10s, 3d. He bequeathed the homestead 
to his son Hezekiah Tomlin subject to 
dower rights and right to east room 
below " so long as she remained the 
widow." Hezekiah Tomlin died four 
years after his father and left a widow 
and one child — Resign Tomlin— two 
months old. In 1766, this child, then 
17 years of age, married John Kelly 
and lived in this Isaac Tomlin house* 
Ten years later the Kellys sold to 
Eilizabeth Grey of Boston, in the early 
days of the Revolutionary war. Five 
years later, again, Elizabeth Grey sold 
to Isaac Davis December 30, 1781. The 
farm as surveyed in 1776 by Dea. 
Jonathan Eivermore of Northboro was 
an irregular shaped tract bordering on 
the Assabet river at Cobb's bridge and 



fronting south 833^^ rods on South 
County road, now Davis street. The 
old road to Northboro ran north from 
the east side of the old house and di- 
vided the farm in halves. 

The site of the old house had been 
favorably chosen on a sleight swell in 
" Milk Porridge Plain " that forms the 
divide between the meadows of the 
Assabet and tanyard brook, thus com- 
manding in all directions broad views 
across plains and meadows to hills 
miles away. 

The subsequent history of this place 
centers in the life of the Governor's 
father, Isaac Davis, the Northboro 
tanner and leather finisher. 

When he had reached the age of 
twenty-one he was engaged to build 
and operate a tanyard on the Maynard 
farm in Westboro (now the B. J. Stone 
place opposite the Eyman School ) and 
to instruct Capt. Stephen Maynard and 
his son Antipas Maynard in the leather 
and tanning business. 

Capt. Maynard had been prominent 
in the French and Indian war, till in 
1763 France ceded Canada to England. 
Then Capt. Maynard returned to 
Westboro to inherit hundreds of acres 
of land left by his recently deceased 
father and to build a new house fit for 
a citizen of his standing. Unfortu- 
nately ready money ran short and he 
found himself compelled to borrow and 
mortgage his estate. 

To mend matters he engaged Isaac 
Davis to instruct him in the tanning 
and leather business, since his grand- 
father, Samuel Brigham of Marlboro, 
had at an earlier date been specially 
successful in that line. 

Again he had married for his second 
wife Mrs. Anna (Gott) Brigham the 
widow of Dr. Samuel Brigham who 
was another grandchild of the pioneer 
tanner. Isaac Davis promptly executed 

35 



his part of the taiiyard contract and in 
1772 married Anna Brigham the daugh- 
ter of the above mentioned deceased, 
Dr. Samuel Brigham. She was there- 
fore the stepdaughter of Capt. May- 
nard and the great granddaughter of 
the pioneer tanner. 

This was the period preceding the 
struggle for American Independence 
when most citizens advocated resist- 
ance to English demands. The few 
who continued loyal to the King were 
driven from the country, or failing to 
go, they were disarmed and not per- 
mitted to leave their farms except to 
attend Sabbath services. 

Antipas Maynard disappeared ; debts 
of Stephen Maynard increased ; cur- 
rency depreciated till it touched 100 to 
1 of gold ; those in debt became insol- 
vent and were imprisoned ; the May- 
nard tanyard was abandoned. 

Then Isaac Davis bought the farm 
and Tomlin house of Elizabeth Grey 
for 1800 ounces of plated silver, giving 
in payment a mortgage and bond in 
double the purchase price, or 3600 
ounces of plated silver, Troy weight. 
Sterling alloy. Plated silver did not 
then mean base metal, but coin plate 
of mint standard. 

Isaac Davis, Stephen Maynard and 
John Fessenden signed the bond. 
Eight years afterward the bond was 
satisfied and discharged by another 
mortgage for 600^ lawful money 
signed by Isaac Davis and wife. This 
later mortgage remained in force and 
was not satisfied and discharged until 
1811, thirty years after the farm was 
bought. We thus see that the family 
tradition that John Davis made 
periodic horseback trips to Boston to 
pay interest money to Elizabeth Grey 
could have been true, though he was 
not born till five years after the place 
was first purchased. 



The Davis tanyard was built near the 
center of the farm where the old road 
crossed tanyard brook, and was put in 
operation as soon as the farm was pur- 
chased. That business called for all 
the ready money available. 

The business was profitable, but to 
feed, clothe and educate eleven chil- 
dren — one in college — called for money. 
The eldest two sons— Phineas and 
Joseph — soon learned the trade and 
joined their father, but each had a 
rapidly growing family of his own to 
support. At that time there was no 
race suicide in the Davis stock. 

Simon died at the age of 40, leaving 
11 children; Isaac had 11, and of 
his sons, Phineas had 11, Joseph 11, 
Isaac 13, Samuel 6 and Gov. John 5. 

Dea. Isaac Davis had 53 grandchil- 
dren, 22 born in Northboro. Four of 
his children were born in Westboro 
before he bought the Northboro farm, 
but they were young, aged respective- 
ly, 9 - 7 - 4 - 2 years. 

The Davises were a tall, sturdy race 
of commanding presence, destined to 
lead more than to follow. About 1819 
to 1825 they had numerous portraits 
painted by artists Peckham and 
Wheeler. Besides Dea. Isaac and his 
sons Phineas and Joseph, the business 
was shared by a grandson, Willidm 
Eager Davis, son of Phineas, but he 
died at the age of 33. After the death 
of the older members, George Clinton 
Davis, son of Joseph, assumed full 
control of the business, till hides were 
imported and tan bark was shipped 
from other states. Then after about 
90 years continuance of the industry, 
tanning ceased at the Davis tanyard. 

In early days each of the partners 
in the business had a large family and 
all had houses within a few rods of 
each other. 

At one time a part of the leather out- 



36 



put of the yard was cut into shoes in 
the curry-shop and sent out to neigh- 
boring- shoe-pegging shops on the 
farms, where the shoes were finished 
and returned to the curry-shop to be 
marketed. In short the raw skin was 
converted into the finished shoe. 

Until that time it had been the cus- 
tom for the farmer to supply his family 
with meat by slaughtering his own 
cattle. Hides he exchanged for leather 
that was held, waiting the arrival of 
the itinerant shoemaker, who periodi- 
cally tarried with the family till he 
had succeeded in shoeing all. The 
farmer's clip of wool was similarly ex- 
changed for yarn and cloth. Between 
producer, manufacturer and consumer 
there were then few middlemen. In 
1836 the appraisers of the estate left by 
William Eager Davis, deceased, named 
stock in process of tanning and its 
value as follows : — 900 hides $SOO0 ; 
450 skins, $450 : $3450. When tanned, 
dressed, and finished, the above stock 
became very much more valuable. 

Profits must have been liberal to en- 
able the proprietors to lift the old 
mortgage ; to care for four large 
families ; to make at least three lib- 
eral contributions in 1814 toward 
Northboro's first cotton factory ; to 
supply the means for building and 
equipping in 1832 the Davis brick cot- 
ton factory ; to help other industries 
and to yield to one of the partners an 
estate such that he was able to bequeath 
$11,000 to each of his six sons and $7,000 
to each of five daughters. Unfortunate 
investments alone prevented another 
partner leaving a like estate. 

In 1826, Rev. Joseph Allen wrote his 
History of Northboro and in it states: 
"The annual sales of leather by the 
Davises amount to more than 
120,000." 

For a term of 30 years, 1795 to 1825, 



Isaac Davis was deacon of the North- 
boro church. Early, under the pastor- 
ate of Rev. Peter Whitney, later, under 
Rev. Joseph Allen. 

Twelve years, 1787 to 1798, he was 
sent representative to the Massachu- 
setts General Court. 

His eldest son, Phineas, as a young 
man was a celebrated wrestler. But 
one day he was injured and ever after 
walked with a twisted leg. Phineas 
also became widely known for his 
fearlessness of savage dogs about 
slaughter houses where he drove for 
hides. He soon became prominent in 
the leather industry. Isaac Davis of 
Worcester told the following of his 
father, Phineas : One day being in need 
of currency he directed his two sons 
(the eldest but eight years old ) to drive 
to a Worcester bank, ten miles distant, 
and get a check cashed. On arrival the 
eldest son presented the check. The 
cashier looked at the check, looked at 
the boy, and asked if any one was with 
him? "Yes, my brother is in the 
wagon." "Bring him in." When the 
cashier discovered the second boy was 
younger than the first he asked if any 
other came. "Yes, mydawg. Mydawg 
always goes. He won't let any one touch 
me." " Tell your father he must send 
some one older, we can't pay money to 
young children." "My father will 
send me back ; I know he will ; he 
wants the money." Sure enough, next 
day the same bo3'S and check reap- 
peared, reinforced with a letter direct- 
ing the cashier to pay the children and 
the father would assume all risk. On 
another occasion he directed his daugh- 
ter, ten years old, to drive alone to 
Worcester and deposit $1000 in the 
bank. When she hesitated he told her 
to drive to her Uncle John's office in 
Worcester and he would go with her to 
the bank. 



37 



Phineas Davis's wife was Martha 
(Eager) Davis, daughter of Francis 
and granddaughter of Bezaleel Eager, 
whose headstone by the roadside a half 
mile west of the tanyard marks the 
spot where he was thrown from his 
horse and killed in 1787. 

Martha ( Patty Eager ) Davis strictly 
observed the Puritan Sabbath, and 
permitted no work in her house from 
sunset Saturday till sunset Sunday. 
Her pots and kettles, " black dishes," 
could not be used, though she would 
knit after sunset Sundays. 

Col. Joseph Davis was the second 
son of Dea. Isaac and his home was on 
the south side of the Plain road (now 
the Goodell place.) 

His first wife, Lydia (Ball) Davis, 
was the mother of nine children that 
reached maturity and had families of 
their own. She died and Col. Davis 
married for his second wife, Mrs. I^ydia 
(Cogswell) the widow of Micah 
Sherman of Marlboro. She was al- 
ready stepmother to five Sherman 
children and tradition says that when 
Col. Davis asked the widow to become 
his wife she wanted to know what was 
to become of her Sherman stepchild- 
ren ? His reply was : " Fetch them 
along ! mix them with mine !" Eater 
the youngest one became the wife 
of William Eager Davis, son of 
Phineas. 

Another tradition says that when 
George Clinton Davis married Mary 
Elizabeth Bigelow of Worcester in 
1842, Dr. Hill, after conducting the 
marriage ceremony, remarked to 
Col. Davis, "Your son to-day takes 
from Worcester one of our finest young 
women." The reply without hesitation 
was : "Well ! We shall see ! We shall 
see ! " 

In addition to the leather industry 
Col. Davis mustered and trained the 



militia annually on the field east of his 
tanyard. 

He also served in both branches of 
the Massachusetts legislature. 

A temperance movement started in 
his day and his refusal to serve spirits 
at the funeral of his wife caused much 
comment at the time. 

Col. Davis, during his later years, 
was partially paralyzed and was com- 
pelled to exercise extreme care and 
moderation in getting into and out of 
his carriage. "Old Bay." his faithful 
horse, then proved most valuable, not 
moving till his master gave the word. 
When his master died, in 1843, "Old 
Bay," harnessed to the hearse, took 
the body to the tomb and then went to 
Holden with one of the daughters 
where he became useful in winter, 
taking a sleigh load of children to 
school and returning without a driver. 
Occasionally he was sent, without a 
driver, to bring the children from 
school, a mile distant. 

Death took the head of the house in 
his new home in 1847 and "Old Bay" 
returned to Northboro. When the old 
Tomlin house was about to be torn 
down in the early spring of 1852, a 
daguerreotype was taken showing the 
house and "Old Bay." The lad of 14 
holding the horse was the present 
writer. The frame of the old house 
was sold to the head carpenter and was 
used by him in building the house now 
standing at the west corner of Board- 
man and Church streets, Westboro. 

During the summer of that year, af- 
ter the old house was gone and con- 
struction of the new house begun, 
" Old Bay " was sent one stormy after- 
noon to take the carpenters home and 
died before morning. 

The favorite animal in the Phineas 
Davis family was the dog before men- 
tioned as accompanying the boj'S to 



38 




Thk C<jbi', Homestead 



the bank in Worcester, He would 
mount the driver's seat in the sleigh, 
take the lines in his mouth and drive 
home with a load of noisy school chil- 



dren, always uttering a growl when 
he met a team. 

J. D. ESTABROOK. 
Northboro, Oct. 1908. 



The Cobb Homestead. 



The house which we know as the 
Cobb Homestead and which is situated 
in the northern part of Westboro', ad- 
joining the Assabet river, was built 
about 1777, and came into possession 
of Edward Cobb, the grandfather of 
C. D. Cobb, in 1788. The original 
house was very small, consisting of 
one front room and a kitchen, but in 
the course- of a few years, a large 
chimney was built, and a north room 
with fireplace, was added. This 
chimney, which was in the center, was 
four feet square, and fireplaces were 
the means used for heating. In this 
little house, Edward Cobb brought up 
his nine children. 

Edward Cobb married Hannah 
Hallet, about 1776. 

Their children were Gershom, born 
about, 1780 ; Allen H., born about 1783. 
As there is no date of the birth of 
these two children or record of their 
death, they might have lived and died 
in Maine, or they may have been born 
in Barnstable on Cape Cod. 

The following children were born in 
the Old Homestead : 

Edward, born October 18, 1783 ; 
Harvey, born October 16, 1785 ; John 
Hallett, born September 25,1787 ; Sallie 
Snow, born March 6, 1790 ; Thatcher 



Davis, born November 1, 1793 ; Josiah, 
born January 5, 1796.— (He wrote the 
story of his travels and experiences at 
Dartmoor Prison, England, in two 
volumesi) — Charles, born January 4, 
1800. 

It was said by Josiah Cobb, son of 
Edward, that four brothers came from 
England — one going north — one south 
— one east, and one west. Some of 
them settled on Cape Cod. and many 
of their descendants are buried there. 
In those days the name was spelled 
Cobe, but years after it was changed 
to Cobb. 

Most of Edward Cobb's children 
lived to manhood and womanhood and 
were men and women of more or less 
ability. 

Mrs. Cobb was one of the early 
Methodists of Westborough. In the 
beginning of that sect the adherents 
met in different houses. Mrs. Cobb's 
was a frequent place of meeting. She 
was baptized about 1804, so that from 
the early years of the children, they 
probably attended the stated worship 
of the Methodists. 

One of the sons, Allen H., was a 
Methodist minister of some note. In 
1845, he preached the funeral sermon 
of his grandmother, Hannah Hallett, 



in the Congregational church in West- 
boro,' to a full house. He also preached 
the next Sunday, in the same place. 
He had the rather remarkable ability, 
of being able to give a good sermon, on 
any verse of Scripture, without previ- 
ous preparation. In this respect he 
had the advantage of the minister, of 
whom the following anecdote is told. 
This minister went to church one Sun- 
day morning, and found to his dismay 
that he had left his sermon at home. 
He told his people of his embarassment, 
and said that in the morning he would 
have to depend on the Lord, but in the 
evening he would come better prepared . 

Thatcher Davis Cobb, the father of 
Charles Davis Cobb, was married, 
March 15, 1820, to I^ucy Cliebee, also 
of Westboro'. He had seven children. 

Charles D.. born 1820, died 1883- 
Hannah Hallett, born 1832, died 1840. 
Josiah Hammond, born 1824, died 1889. 
John, born 1826, died in Maiden, in 1908. 
Henry Edward, born 1829, died 1891, 
(his daughter Mary, married W. H. 
Mills of New York City. Marshall W., 
born 1831, ( he resided in Newton. ) 
Ellen Maria, born 1836, died 1888. 

When Thatcher was married the 
house was still small and primitive, as 
in the older generation. It was not 
finished inside or out in the common 
acceptance of that term. It was rough 
inside, and the outside was covered 
with clapboards of extra width, for 
better protection against the heavy 
storms. In all these years the weather 
had caused such a shrinkage in 
the clapboards that in a driving snow 
storm the snow sifted in and fell on 
the floors, and one can imagine the at- 
mosphere of the house with fireplaces 
for heat. Mr. John Cobb of Maiden, 
to whom I am indebted for nearly all 
my information, says they did not 
mind it at all, but now as he thinks of 



it he should consider it too much ven-^ 
tilation ! 

It must not be supposed that howev- 
er hard and narrow the life of both 
old and young appears to us, that there 
were no diversions. The musters of 
those days appealed to all ages, and 
the day of the annual drill of the mili- 
tia was one of the most important 
events of the year. Each town in the 
vicinity contributed a certain number 
of men, and when these men assembled 
in Northborough the3'^ were formed in- 
to two regiments, one commanded by 
John's mother's uncle, Mr. Joseph 
Davis, and the other commanded by a 
Mr. Ball. The titles in the militia 
were always retained through life, 
and these two men were always known 
as Col. Joe ( to distinguish him from 
his brothers ), and Col. Ball. At one 
time these regiments had a mock bat- 
tle, the field used being the land ex- 
tending from Mrs. Goodell's, then Col. 
Joe's residence, to the Assabet river. 
We can imagine the enthusiasm and 
excitement over the event, and how it 
was attended by all the country people 
around. The Sunday near the time of 
the drill the men were expected to at- 
tend church in Westboro, marching in 
a body, and preceded by the music of 
the regiment, a fifeanddrum. Thatcher 
Cobb played the fife and Adonijah 
Sanger the drum. These were not the 
times of total abstinence, or even of 
temperance.and the men were, as usual, 
hospitably entertained on their way. 
It was said that the beverage was 
" Sling," whatever that may be ! Cer- 
tainly it was strong, for on their ar- 
rival at the church the fife and drum 
not only played while the men were 
being seated, but continued in the most 
zealous manner. It required physical 
remonstrance to induce them to stop ; 
but after a time the efi'orts were suc- 



40 



cessful, and the regular services pro- 
ceeded. 

To go back to Thatcher Cobb's chil- 
dren ; if we should consider the limita- 
tions which in every way belonged to 
a family of children brought up as 
these were, we should wonder that they 
lived — certainly it would be a case of 
the survival of the strongest. A deli- 
cate child could not have endured the 
cold, the lack of variety of food, the 
lack of warm clothing, and the many 
other things which are now regarded 
as necessities. In the matter of shoes 
they had a pair of brogans — a stout 
kind of shoe — a year, and those worn 
in the coldest weather, probably when 
they went to school. The little school- 
house was a mile and a quarter away — 
a cold, bleak walk. I have heard my 
mother say that in the cold days of 
winter her father had a large sleigh, 
something like a long, large box, with 
straw on the bottom, which took all 
the children in the neighborhood to 
school. One of the children drove. 
When the schoolhouse was reached the 
sleigh was turned around and the 
great dog took the place of the driver — 
the lines in his mouth. The horse 
knew enough to turn into the yard 
when he reached home, but woe betide 
any one who interferred with the horse 
when the huge dog was the driver . 
Savage growls warned all people that 
this driver had the right of way, and 
other sleighs must turn out, or turn 
over, as the case might be, this driver 
did not care. Some thirty children 
went to school from this part of the 
town, so my grandfather was an im- 
portant factor in having this school 
well attended. The children came 
home in the same way. 

In 1840, Charles, then 20 years old, 
took an apprenticeship in the grocery 
business with a Mr. Clapp, who was 



established in the Arcade Building. 
So much business ability did he show 
that when the apprenticeship was fin- 
ished Mr. Clapp urged him to go to 
Boston, and finally secured a place for 
him. One Monday morning, with all 
his belongings packed in a little hair 
trunk — the trunk strapped on a hand 
sled — and with ten dollars, which he 
had borrowed, in his pocket, he set out 
to make his fortune. The boys helped 
him draw the sled as far as the tavern 
in Wessonville, where the stage could 
be taken for Boston. He succeeded 
wonderfully, but that was in the days 
when individuality told. We must re- 
member that at that time Boston was a 
comparatively small city and that busi- 
ness methods were totally different 
from those of the present day. 

In those days, however, his faithful- 
ness, honesty and ability were soon 
recognized. He introduced many 
methods, which at that time were en- 
tirely new. He it was who first dis- 
played his goods, with the price 
marked in plain figures, a custom now 
universally followed. He continued 
as clerk for eight years ; all this time 
gaining in knowledge and experience, 
and making many friends in the busi- 
ness world. In 1848, he went into 
business for himself. He had estab- 
lished such a good reputation, and had 
such good credit, that he could buy at 
a great advantage, and consequently 
sell lower than many in the same busi- 
ness. Eventually his business in- 
creased to such an extent, that he had 
several stores, and can be said to have 
founded the largest grocery business 
that, at that time, had ever been carried 
on in Boston. I have been told that 
he was the first merchant, to import 
an entire cargo of tea. That was a 
great innovation ! He took his brother 
into business, and under his guidance. 



they became successful business men. 
He is a wonderful example of genuine 
business ability joined to persistent 
perseverance. Apparently, everything 
was against him — his poverty being 
the greatest of all obstacles, and he 
had no one to help him to a position, 
but the grocer to whom he had been 
apprenticed. He had everything to 
overcome, and succeeded, not only for 
himself, but for his family. 

Charles lived at the homestead for 
34 years. During that time, he put an 
addition on the house and connected 
the house and barn by a covered pas- 
sage. This, with other improvements, 
made the house very comfortable, so 
that he had a convenient and pleasant 
home. He was married in 1863. The 
early years of his married life were 
spent there— this being the birthplace 
of his children. Later he lived, as 
many in the town remember, in the 
house now owned and occupied by A. 
Lr. Boynton. 



After a most successful life, he died 
in 1883, being 63 years of age — a com- 
paratively young man to have accom- 
plished so much. He raised his family 
to a business position of note, and his 
parents had an old age of comfort and 
ease, in strong contrast to their early 
years of struggle and poverty. Their 
golden wedding was celebrated in 1870 
—their children presenting them with 
50 dollars in gold. Mrs. Cobb was 
given a set of gold knitting needles — 
one of the most lovely presents that 
could have been selected. 

The house was again changed by 
Henry Cobb, a brother of Charles, who 
owned and occupied it in summer, for 
some years. The house was enlarged, 
the barn was moved, and the house 
stands now, as he left it. The place 
is now owned by his heirs. 

Sarah Davis Spurr. 

September, 1908. 



The Horace Maynard Birthplace. 



In seeking for material for this 
sketch we find two papers read at a 
meeting of the Historical Society, 
January 23, 1895. They present the 
character of Mr. Maynard in the hap- 
piest light. We give the first in full. 

A Sketch of thb L«ife of Hon. 
Horace Maynard. 

Of the millions of mankind born in- 
to the world, how few succeed in leav- 



ing any permanent trace in the record 
of their generation that they have ever 
lived. With many, this results from 
lack of opportunity ; with others, from 
the fact that they in nowise surpass 
the average of the men of their time, 
hence their individuality is lost in the 
multitude of similar lives. 

The subject of this sketch was one 
of the comparatively few, who, favored 
both by oppoi-tunity and by the posses- 



42 



,^f^ 




ii...v-vv_K MaYNARD'S BIRTHPI.ACE 



sion of more than the average endow- 
ment of mental and moral qualities, 
have so impressed their personality on 
the world's affairs, that their names 
will be handed down as part of the 
history of the period during which 
they lived. 

Horace Maynard was born in West- 
boro', August 30, 1814, the oldest child 
and only son of Ephraim and Diana 
Maynard. His ancestors on both sides 
were English. In early life he at- 
tended the district school, and a high 
school taught by Rev. Dr. Dana. 
I^ater, he was fitted for college at Mil- 
bury academy. One of the few re- 
maining reminders of his childhood is 
a reward of merit adorned with a bird 
of wondrous plumage, given him for 
excellence in scholarship by Miss 
Susan Harrington, who taught in the 
little red schoolhouse of No. 7 district, 
and doubtless the work of her own fair 
hands. 

In 1838, he was graduated from 
Amherst college, with the first honors 
of his class, and shortly afterward 
went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he 
became first, tutor, and later on, pro- 
fessor of mathematics in the East 
Tennessee university. In 1840, he re- 
turned to New England for a brief 
visit, and married, August 30th, at 
Berlin, Vermont, I^aura Ann Wash- 
burn, youngest daughter of Rev. Azel 
and Sarah Skinner Washburn, of 
Royalton, Vermont. 

While engaged with his duties at the 
university, Mr. Maynard found time to 
study law, and in 1844, was admitted 
to the bar at Knoxville. He engaged 
in the practice of his profession until 
1858, when he was elected to Congress 
from the Knoxville district, on the 
Whig ticket, and represented this dis- 
trict continuously in the lower house 
until 1873, with the exception of one 



term during the War of the Rebellion, 
when Eastern Tennessee was held by 
the rebels. In 1873, he was elected a 
member of the house from the state-at- 
large, defeating Ex-President Andrew 
Johnson and General Cheatham, who 
were his Democratic competitors. 

In 1875, he was appointed minister 
resident at Constantinople by Presi- 
dent Grant, where he remained until 
recalled in 1880 to fill the position of 
postmaster-general in the cabinet of 
President Hayes. 

In 1881, Mr. Maynard retired from 
the public service and spent the final 
year of his life, partly in the place of 
his birth, and partly at his home in 
Knoxville. He died, suddenly, of 
heart disease, at the latter place. May 
3, 1882, a little less than 68 years old. 

Such in briefest outline was the life 
of Horace Maynard. He was a man of 
commanding mental powers and of 
high intellectual development — Greek 
and I^atin he read with ease and unaf- 
fected pleasure to the close of his life, 
and his mind was stored with the 
learning of the best English writers. 
To this mental equipment was added 
untiring industry [and an unusual ca- 
pacity for work. It is related of him 
that soon after his admission to Am- 
herst college, he chalked a large " V " 
on the door of his room, indicative of 
his determination to become the val- 
edictorian of his class. 

In the early years of his legal prac- 
tice, he was handicapped by poverty, 
the little that he had been able to save 
from his salary as professor having 
gone to repay money borrowed to meet 
the expense of his collegiate course at 
Amherst. The lawyers of Knoxville at 
that time attended the courts in all the 
neighboring counties, as they were 
held in turn, traveling from 20 to 50 
miles to do so. Too poor to afford a 



43 



horse, Mr. Maynard performed these 
journeys on foot, until a rapidly grow- 
ing practice enabled him to purchase a 
saddle-horse. On one of the earliest 
of these trips, perhaps the very first, 
he came upon a party of his mounted 
legal brethren of Knoxville on the 
bank of a large stream, which, being 
swollen by heavy rains, was impassa- 
ble by fording, and there was no 
bridge. Taking in the situation, Mr. 
Maynard quickly undressed himself, 
put his clothes and papers in a bundle 
on his head, and swam across the 
stream. While dressing on the farther 
bank, he was asked by several of the 
detained lawyers to represent them in 
court, should their cases be called be- 
fore they could reach the town in 
which the court was to sit, which he 
did, and this episode led to his recog- 
nition as a lawyer of more than ordi- 
nary ability and a man of phick and 
endurance. 

In the stormy times prior to, during, 
and subsequent to the civil war, Mr. 
Maynard served in the national house 
of representatives, and proved himself 
a statesman in the highest and best 
meaning of that much mis-applied 
word. His views of public policy were 
broad, embracing the whole country, 
and few men have had a higher con- 
ception of its honor, dignity, and fu- 
ture greatness. His integrity was ab- 
solute and well-known, and no one 
would have ventured to offer him a 
bribe. 

Speaking of his diplomatic service 
as minister at Constantinople, it has 
been said by one well qualified to 
judge, "our country has never had a 
better representative in Europe " Dur- 
ing his service of five years at the 
Porte he compelled the respect of the 
Turkish government for himself and 
for his country, and acquired the es- 



teem and confidence of his colleagues, 
the representatives of other nations. 

Mr. Maynard ever retained a fond- 
ness for his native town, and just be- 
fore his death had planned improve- 
ments to his birthplace, the old house 
on the hill, with the intention of mak- 
ing it his summer residence. In hon- 
oring his memory on this occasion, 
Westboro' honors herself through one 
of her children. 

Washburn Maynard, 
Commander U. S. Navy. 

Washington, D. C, 

August 24, 1894. 

This loving tribute of a worthy son 
were sufllcient in itself but we have at 
hand another presentation from one of 
his neighbors. We venture to add se- 
lections from it as of special interest. 

Extracts From Paper by Capt, 
Wii^uAM Rule of Knoxvili^e. 

Horace Maynard came to Knoxville 
in 1838. In the days of his young man- 
hood he was clothed with the garments 
of integrity which remained his sure 
protection and invincible strength 
throughout the nearly three score and 
ten years of his active and useful life. 

In 1844, Mr. Maynard was licensed to 
practice law. The members of his pro- 
fession and the public generally soon 
realized that he was endowed with ex- 
traordinary mental powers and was 
destined to become a master of his 
chosen profession. His literary at- 
tainments were far above the average. 
He was a close student, earnest, pains- 
taking and zealous, and when he en- 
tered the court room to argue a case he 
always understood the facts of the case 
and the law applicable to the issues. 
He was a master of pure English, al- 
ways chose without hesitation the 
right words to express his meaning 
with clearness and vigor, and his 



influence over a jury was something 
remarkable. His voice was musical, 
his diction charming and his powers of 
persuasion sometimes well nigh irre- 
sistable. His convictions were always 
based upon reason. In the joint dis- 
cussions in those days, he kept cool, 
never lost his balance and was conse- 
quently a match for any. 

His first service in political life was 
as an elector on the Whig ticket in 
1852, Mr. Maynard's speeches attract- 
ing much attention. In 1856, he was 
again urged by the American party to 
serve on the presidential electoral 
ticket of that party for the state at 
large. His fame as a public speaker 
which previous to that time had been 
local, was extended over the state and 
everywhere the people flocked to hear 
him in large numbers. As a debater 
and as an orator he was the peer of the 
ablest men. 

In 1857 there were thousands of vot- 
ers who would not vote the democratic 
ticket [for congress]. Those in his 
district united upon Mr. Maynard and 
he was elected. In 1859 he was re- 
elected and again in 1861. The latter 
election was peculiar. The war of the 
rebellion had begun, A large number 
of rebel soldiers were quartered in the 
district that had elected Mr. Maynard 
and it was dangerous to openly and 
publicly proclaim sympathy for the 
Union. On the day of the election he 
was in Campbell county, bordering on 
Kentucky, and immediately afterward 
he crossed the state line and proceeded 
to Washington. Every measure, look- 
ing to the suppression of the rebellion 
and maintenance of the Union, re- 
ceived his earnest and vigorous sup- 
port. Before the war closed, .as the 
records show, more than thirty thou- 
sand men from Tennessee had joined 
the Union army. One of these was 



Edward Maynard, a son of Mr. May- 
nard, a most gallant and efficient 
officer. 

In 1868 Mr. Maynard was appointed 
attorney general for the state. In 1864 
he was chosen elector for the state at 
large on the Republican electoral 
ticket. In August, 1865, he was elect- 
ed again to the national congress and 
continued a member until March, 1875, 
making fourteen years service in that 
body. He served on the ways and 
means committee and was an active 
and influential member. Later he 
served as chairman of the house com- 
mittee on banking and currency and 
some of the most important legislation 
of the session originated with his com- 
mittee. 

At the close of his long and honora- 
ble congressional career he had estab- 
lished a national reputation as a states- 
man of superior ability, as an orator, 
and as a man of spotless integrity. 

As the representative of his govern- 
ment at the Turkish capital he was the 
same dignified, thoughtful, patriotic 
American that he had been throughout 
his previous life. Among other things 
he manifested a lively interest in 
American and other missionaries in 
that and surrounding countries. He 
visited Beirut, Damascus, and points 
in Persia, and was received with 
marked ceremony. 

Writing of his reception at Lebanon 
Rev, Gerald F. Dale said : 

" The next day was Sabbath, and it 
was grand to find what an impression 
was being made upon the people. It 
was a new thing for them to see one 
high in authority who would not travel 
on the Sabbath and who refused to re- 
ceive the complimentary visits of 
officials and great men who cared 
nothing for the Lord's day. A lieuten- 
ant and a general accompanied Mr, 



45 



Maynard to the Mission Church which 
was crowded, while an American Am- 
bassador sat down at the communion 
table with the members of the Zaleh 
church to commemorate the Saviour's 
dying- love. Mr. Maynard made no 
address in our field but his noble ex- 
ample has done more than a hundred 
sermons could have done to call to the 
minds of the people the importance 
and duty of observing the Sabbath." 

He retired from official life with 
clean hands. He honored his own 
name ; the name of his native and 
his adopted state and the country he 
served so faithfully and so well. 

Among the very last of his distin- 
guished public efforts was the deliver- 
ing of a eulogy upon the life and char- 
acter of Admiral Farragut ; scholarly, 
and a valuable contribution to Ameri- 
can history. 

The last year of his life was spent at 
his home in Knoxville. His seat was 
rarely vacant at the Wednesday eve- 
ning prayer meeting of his church, 
which service he often led. His brief 
lectures on these occasions were gems. 
The public life of Horace Maynard em- 
braced a period of thirty years. He 
made for himself an enviable national 
reputation. He was a scholar, an 
orator, a statesman of superior ability ; 
a patriot without a blemish, and a 
citizen, the purity of whose life is 
worthy of emulation. 

Everything pertaining to the early 
life of such a man as Mr. Maynard 
was is of interest. We are glad to 
have his birthplace among the land- 
marks of our town. It cannot fail to 
be of service in recalling his worth. 

Its conspicuous position on the hill 
where it stands open to the view from 
every direction is most marked, while 
the outlook from it to the outlying 



hills miles away on ever3' side is a 
broad and commanding one. This 
could not fail to have had its influence 
on the thoughtful lad whose eyes daily 
beheld it. No wonder that in Mr. 
Maynard's last years he turned from 
the many features of the town's activi- 
ties and found in his solitary walks 
through the fields that which satisfied 
his fondest longings as nothing else 
could do. 

The site of the house was included 
in the 80 acres that David Maynard 
sold in 1777 to Isaac Parker, whose son 
Otis sold 40 acres of it with the build- 
ings, in 1803, to William Beaton, black- 
smith. The latter was the son of the 
John Beaton who bought through 
Stephen Maynard the ministerial 
homestead of Mr. Parkman. William 
Beaton married Relief Maynard, the 
daughter of Amasa Maynard, whose 
home was the present Wayside cottage. 
He was the father of Jane S. Beaton, 
the former town librarian. After sell- 
ing three acres to his neighbor, Eli 
Whitney, in 1803, and 16 acres and 20 
rods to another neighbor, Naum 
Fisher, in 1811, he sold the remainder, 
some 20 acres with buildings, in 1813, 
to Ebenezer and Ephraim Maynard. 

Their father was Jonathan Maynard, 
whose grave with that of his wife, 
Zipporah Bruce, is marked by a stone 
in the southwest part of Memorial 
cemetery. Tradition says that he was 
a musician in the Revolution. He 
was the fifth of a family of 16 children, 
the son of Ebenezer Maynard and his 
first wife Amee Ann Dodge. 

The brothers Ebenezer and Ephraim 
were married the same year, 1814— the 
former to Hannah Gale of Roxbury, 
and the latter to Diana Harriet Cogs- 
well of Concord. They are thought to 
have moved into the house soon after 
their marriages. Ebenezer had the 



46 



West side and Ephraim the east side. 
They were \vheelwrij;-hts and their 
shop stood on the east corner of the 
house lot, close to the road. Its door- 
stone is still in sight there. They 
seem to have lived and worked together 
on the friendliest terms. Each had 
his own rights in the estate with cer- 
tain privileges in common. A grand- 
son of Ebenezer well remembers how 
he was called on occasions to exercise 
his father's right in turning the grind- 
stone which was held in common. 

The house is somewhat different in 
construction from those of the time. 
The front door opens into a small 
square entry with double cupboards 
set into the back wall. On either side 
is a large low-studded room with cup- 
boards in the walls and with corner 
posts. Back of these rooms are two 
very narrow stairways, one on each 
side of the house and a narrow passage 
way between the stairs, and the three 
rooms on the back of the house. In 
the second story there are correspond- 
ing rooms with one additional over the 
front entry. On each side of the house 
was a door that opened into the pas- 
sage at the foot of each stairway. 

The large central chimney rests on 
an earth foundation walled in with 
stone on its four sides in the cellar. It 
has two fireplaces in each story. 

The ell on the east side, as probably 
that on the west side before it was 
torn down in 1906, contains the kitchen 
with its fireplace and a pantry out of 
it with a set boiler. 

The hip roof left no space that could 
be utilized as a garret but it gives a 



distinctive character to the outside ap- 
pearance. 

Ebenezer Maynard's daugther. Mary 
Bruce, married Hannibal S. Aldrich. 
He built the barn some distance to the 
east of the house in 1851 and also a 
shoe shop near the wheelwright shop. 
He was town clerk at the time of his 
death. One of their sons is our well 
known citizen William M. Aldrich. 
The widow, Mary, held possession of 
the west part of the house till she sold 
it to her cousin Horace Maynard. 

We next find the house occupied by 
Darius Warren whose wife was Diana 
Cogswell Maynard, daughter of 
Ephraim. They had the whole house, 
for in 1879 Horace Maynard bought 
out the other heirs and became sole 
owner of the estate. At his death the 
title passed to his eldest son, Wash- 
burn Maynard, who now owns it. 

It will be of interest to note here 
that there lived with the Warrens in 
her last years, Mrs. Eunice ( Cogswell ) 
McCary, a sister of Ephraim May- 
nard's wife. She had been in early 
life a school teacher in Boston and 
in Providence, and afterwards in the 
south, where she married Benjamin 
McCary of South Carolina. He died in 
1858. She had a most eventful experi- 
ence. While teaching in Tennessee at 
the breaking out of the war, she met 
with several narrow escapes and had 
to flee north for her life. Dr. C. H. 
Reed remembers her as a woman of 
fine ability and remarkable energy of 
character. She died here Dec. 30, 1894, 
at the age of 96 years, 8 months. 

S. I. B. 



The Morse Homestead. 



The Morse plantation, as' it was 
called, was situated on the south side 
of the Sudbury river in the town of 
Hopkinton, but the families went to 
church and had their babies baptized 
in either Hopkinton or Westborough 
as it suited their convenience. 

In 1734, Benj. Burnap deeded to 
Jonathan Burnap, Hopkinton, 80 acres 
of land in Hopkinton and Westboroug-h. 

In 1744, Jonathan Burnap deeded 86 
acres, with dwelling house and barn, 
to Seth Morse of Sherborn. 

Here Seth Morse and his wife 
Abigail Battles came to live. Nothing 
remains of their furnishing but a few 
scraps of her wedding blankets, spun 
and woven by herself, and Seth's 
bullet mould. 

In looking over the vital statistics 
of HoUiston a few weeks ago, I eame 
across the following among the deaths, 
" Joseph Morse, Hon. One of the 
First Proprietors and Incorporators of 
the Town of Sherborn. Educated in 
the principles of his Puritan Ancestors. 
Feb. 19, 1717-18." 

He is spoken of as a nephew of Col. 
Morse, of Cromwell's army. He was 
the grandfather of Seth Morse, and 
himself the grandson of Samuel Morse 
who came to America about 1635. 

When the news came of the attack 
on Medfield by Philip and five hundred 
Indians, Capt. Joseph Morse collected 
the Sherborn men and led them to Med- 



field, thereby saving the inhabitants 
still alive or uncaptured. When he re- 
turned after the battle, he found his 
wife with their tiny baby dead upon 
her arm. His wife was Mehitable 
Wood, the first white child born in a 
territory comprising two entire town- 
ships and large portions of five others. 
This was the grandmother of Seth, for 
Joseph was married three times. 

Their son Joseph married Prudence 
Adams, of the family which gave two 
presidents to the United States. Her 
grandfather, Capt. Henry Adams, and 
his wife, Elizabeth, were killed in the 
Indian raid on Medfield. About her 
mother we know only what is summed 
up in two words, but those two words 
are more than any town clerk since 
has thought to put after the name of 
any of her descendants. For after her 
death the record is this : — "the excel- 
lent. " That sums up all the virtues of 
a good wife, mother and neighbor. 

Seth Morse, the son of Joseph and 
Prudence Adams Morse, was born in 
Sherborn, Sept. 13, 1708, and married, 
Oct. 5, 1733, Abigail Battles of Dedhara 
and they were the first Morses in Hop- 
kinton. The original house was the 
west end. their son, Barachias, built 
the middle section, his son, Joseph, the 
east end, and the long ell towards 
Saddle Hill was added by the fourth 
generation, Willard. Mr. Miles F. 
Morse has given the following de- 



48 




The Morse Homestead 



scriptioii of the interior. " The house 
had hand-hewn timbers, posts and 
stringers, and the nails of the old part 
were hand-made. More or less rough 
at the outset, it was graduallj- im- 
proved by each succeeding generation, 
yet the old fireplaces, brick ovens and. 
under the first part, the old scooped- 
out cellar, without walls, remained till 
the end. The rooms were large and 
very spacious and there were left two 
very narrow stairways in the first 
part." This house stood until Mr. 
Winslow Clark tore it down and built 
the present house on its site. A 
long lane led up to it from the main 
road. 

The first son of Seth and Abigail 
was Barachias, born Nov. 19, 1733, and 
was undoubtedly considered by his 
mother a wonderful baby, for certainly 
he was taken back to her Dedham 
home to be christened, and she let her 
fancy have full sway and gave him a 
name never before and never since 
found in the Morse family. There be- 
ing no novels in those days, she took 
it from the Bible, and the name Bara- 
chias means "one who bows before 
God." Barachias himself must have 
hated it for it was never given to any 
of his children. And then came little 
Seth, Joseph, James, and Thomas, 
Abigail, Catherine and Jacob. The 
Morse motto is interpreted in " In God 
not arms we trust ", but the war-like 
spirit which they had inherited from 
their ancestors sprang to life when the 
Revolution came. Barachias, who now 
lived in the house as head, and who 
built the middle portion, brought out 
the old bullet mould of his father, Seth, 
and in the kitchen were moulded not 
only bullets, but buttons of two sizes 
for the Continental uniforms. That 
mould is now owned by Mr. Miles F. 
Morse, although both the Ancient and 



Honorable Artillery and the Smith, 
sonian Institute have tried to obtain 
it. Barachias was also on the Com- 
mittee of Safety for the town of Hop- 
kinton. His brother Seth was the cap- 
tain of the Westborough minute men 
and led them to Lexington in time to 
meet the British on their retreat from 
Concord. He was also at the battle of 
Bunker Hill. Seth lived in the place 
on South street now owned by Mr. 
Hey wood and is buried in Midland 
cemetery. The low-boy in my posses- 
sion belonged to him, Joseph was 
shot through the heart at the battle of 
Saratoga. James was captain in the 
expedition against Shay. Thomas 
died unmarried at Hopkinton. None 
of them were famous, but true to those 
old-fashioned virtues: love of God, 
country and neighbor. 

Barachias, as I have said, had the 
homestead, and married Zerviah, 
Soviah or Sophia Chadwick, ( you can 
spell her name as you choose as did her 
husband and children ). The old 
house was full to overflowing with 
twelve sturdy girls and boys. But 
there was always room for one more. 
One night a sick woman with a little 
child walked into the Morse kitchen, 
for the doors were never fastened even 
at night. She was cared for, and just 
before she died told her story. She 
was of the proud Crowninshield family 
of Salem but had married against her 
parents' wishes and been cast out by 
them. She was alone in the world 
with this little girl and was trying to 
get home to die. After her death the 
Morses tried to get the Crowninshields 
to do something for the child, but they 
refused. So Barachias buried the 
mother and little Millie Morse, as she 
was called, found a home with him 
until her marriage to a Mr. Dole, when 
she moved to Maine. 



As Barachias' sons grew up he gave 
them land, and homes were built, so 
that the district became veritably the 
Morse Plantation. His son, Moses, 
lived in the brick house, which until a 
few years ago stood near the Rocklawn 
Mills. Afterwards it was the Hopkin- 
ton Poor Farm. One hundred years 
ago, a beautiful tree and watering- 
place in front of it were famous. For 
it was along this road the coaches 
passed with their gay guests and 
darky servants bound for Hopkinton 
Springs. Mr. Willard and Mr. Gilman 
Morse while excavating in front of this 
house, dug up the skeleton of an Indian 
with his stone mortar and pestle and 
brass kettle. They buried the skeleton 
just over the wall. There was a cave 
up in the wild forest timber near Rock- 
lawn where many Indian relics were 
found. 

At the foot of the lane leading to 
Barachias' house stood and still stand 
two houses, one on either side. That 
towards Rocklawn was the home of his 
tenth child, Elisha, that on the other 
corner was known as the Graves house 
where the hired men lived. 

Thomas lived in the place still known 
as the Deacon Morse place, later occu- 
pied by Mr. Foss, the grandfather of 
Mr. William Miller. Thomas was the 
ancestor of Mrs. Warren Jackson and 
Mr. Gilman Morse and Mr. Thomas 
Morse. Seth and James moved to 
South Paris, Maine. Seth was a sol- 
dier in the Revolution. Having no 
children of his own, and as his brother 
Elisha was blessed with five sons, 
Seth wrote up, oifering to take one, 
bring him up as his own, and make him 
his heir. Klisha, his father's name- 
sake, was the chosen one. His widow 
is still living in the old homestead 
there, and every summer her children 
and grandchildren gather there 



from their western homes. It is 
an ideal house, filled with antique fur- 
niture and china, and kept in the old- 
fashioned way, — plenty, but no waste. 
Samuel injured his back when eighteen 
and as my grandmother used to say, 
"never did a day's work after." His 
father, Barachias, in his will, gave 
part of the first part of the house to 
" Uncle Sam," and it was occupied by 
him until his death in 1847. Invalids 
were rare in those days, and " Uncle 
Sam" was looked upon with awe by 
his nephews and nieces. He was an 
" old bach," and spent his time driving 
about in the chaise as "It is ray Desire 
that he shall have the Privilege of 
Useing- the horse wich I have Be- 
queathed to his mother, he providing 
half the Ceaping and Shewing of said 
Horse." ( The spelling is Barachias' 
and not mine.) A cousin of my moth- 
er's told me lately that when he was a 
child it was "a red letter day"' with 
him, when invited to drive with "Un- 
cle Sam." Over his bed he had an ar- 
rangement of pulleys by which he 
raised and lowered himself. He outliv- 
ed his mother and brother Joseph and 
was cared for the last part of his time 
by his nephew, Willard, and his wife. 
In 1847, he was laid to rest in the 
" Morse Row " in Woodville cemetery. 
Under the group of pine trees at the 
end of the cemetery they all lie. 

Owing to Samuel's invalidism his 
brother Joseph was to carry on the 
farm for his mother and Samuel. 

Barachias died in 1805 and a copy of 
his will and the letter announcing his 
death to his son Seth in Maine were 
found a few years ago while making 
some repairs in Seth's house in South 
Paris. They had lain hidden for fifty 
years in a recess of the chimney. This 
son Joseph writes of " the mournful 
and solemn scene which hath taken 



place by the Death of our Father who 
departed this life in a very sudden and 
unexpected manner on Friday morn- 
ing last while all the Family' were re- 
tired to rest, even while our Mother 
was sleeping in the same Bed and 
first discovered by Brother Samuel who 
went to the bed and shook him, but, 
alas ! found him lifeless." In his will 
he leaves his widow part of the house 
with " the privilege of passing and 
Repassing up and Down the front 
Stares to the Chamber and Garit as 
she may have Ocasion and to my well 
for water." Also the " Following 
Creters which I give & Bequeeth to my 
said wife viz.: my Best Horse, side 
Sadell and Bridell, two Cowes, Two 
Shepe and one Hogg Key & In- 
dian Meel and Flower and Beefe «& 
Fresh meate as she shall need with all 
sorts of Sace &c while she Re- 
main My widdow." Whether the 
above spelling was Barachias' or Dr. 
Hawes' I cannot say, as the latter is 
one of the witnesses and was accus- 
tomed to drawing wills. Sophia died 
his "widdow", according to the old 
Bible, in 1809, but on the tombstone it 
is given as 1811. 

The Morse homestead was made live- 
ly by "Uncle Jo's" girls of which 
there were five, and their only brother 
Willard Morse. He had not only his 
sisters to escort, but his cousin, Patty, 
my grandmother, who was near his 
age, and lived in her father Elisha's 
house, at the foot of the lane. Grand- 
mother used to tell me how she would 
go up to "Uncle Jo's" to help her 
cousins dress for a party. She would 
pull at their " stay strings" and when 
they could be drawn no tighter, the 
tied ends were thrown over the bed- 
post and the wearer pulled more. The 
only son, Willard, inherited the home- 
stead from his father, and the care of 



" Uncle Sam." In 1831 Samuel deeded 
to Willard F. Morse ISO acres with 
buildings. 

The Morse homestead passed into 
stranger hands in 1866, and after va- 
rious changes, became the property of 
Mr. Winslow Clark, in 1892. In 1902, 
it was deeded to Arthur Perrin of 
Brookline, who still owns it. 

I am indebted to Mr. Miles F. Morse 
for some of the facts in regard to the 
old house, as it was his home when a 
child. Also in regard to "Uncle 
Moses' " place. 

Elisha Morse, the tenth child of 
Barachias, as I said before, was given 
the farm at the foot of the lane, with 
an old house upon it. All his children 
were born in it but my grandmother, 
the present house being finished just 
before her birth in 1812. The barn was 
built by Elisha and was the first any- 
where about, to have a barn cellar. 
His wife was Patty Howe, daughter of 
Phineas of Hopkinton, and a descend- 
ant of David Howe, who built the 
famous "Wayside Inn" at Sudbury. 
When Elisha Morse asked Phineas 
Howe for the hand of his daughter, he 
told Elisha that he would give his 
daughter no money dowry, but that 
she herself in her character was 
worthy to be a queen. They were 
called the " handsomest couple that 
ever walked bride in Hopkinton." 

When Phineas Howe died, my great- 
grandmother bought from her share 
of the estate of her father, a Bible, 
but her sisters invested their por- 
tions in gold beads. In this Bible, 
which has descended to me, she entered 
all the births of her children, five boys 
and two girls. In the cupboard over 
the fireplace in the kitchen can still be 
seen the place cut out of the shelf to 
slip this Bible in. A tenant told me 
she had always wondered why that 



piece was gone until mv grandmother 
told her. Of the children of Elisha 
and Patty Morse, Elisha, as I said be- 
fore, was adopted by his Uncle Seth in 
Maine. Samuel lived in the ell of his 
father's house and after the death of his 
parents inherited the place. Phineas 
moved to South Paris, Maine and Win- 
throp and Appleton both went to col- 
lege and became ministers. Susanna 
was engaged to be married to Joshua 
Mellen, and the house known as the 
Tidd place, opposite the old Fitch farm 
in Piccadilly, was built for them. But 
hte suddenly died and she married Mr. 
Barnard of Harvard. She was the 
grandmother of Mrs. Joshua Beeman. 
Patty, as her mother put it in the Bible, 
Martha as she was known later, mar- 
ried Lyman Belknap of Westborough. 
It was to this house that Samuel the 
eldest son was brought home wounded 
in the war of 1812. He was shot in 
the shoulder and they brought him 
home in a wagon the thirty miles be- 
fore extracting the bullet. That was 
before the days of springs or ether. 
Adoniram Judson came home with 
one of the college boys one vacation, 
and Mrs. Morse made him some shirts 
of which he was sadly in need. At 
this house the women met also to make 
garments for Mr. and Mrs. Chamber- 
lain, the first missionaries to the Sand- 
wich Islands, to carry to the little 
heathen. Mrs. Chamberlain said 
afterward that they would never have 
been allowed to land except for those 
clothes. They showed their own chil- 
dren clothed, and then holding up the 
dresses made in the old house in Hop- 
kinton, made the natives understand 
they were for their children, Here 
little Brigham Young used to come 
with his mother, Nabby Howe, the 
sister of Mrs. Morse, and play with 
Patty. Years after when he "turned 



Mormon," he tried to persuade his 
cousin and her husband, Lyman Bel- 
knap, to go with him. A short time 
before his death, Henry Morse was in 
Salt Lake City and out of pure mis- 
chief called upon his father's cousin. 
The iirst person Brigham Young in- 
quired for was my grandmother Bel- 
knap, his old playmate. He sent her 
his picture which she burned. At this 
house Ruth Buck came to make the 
boss' clothes and Patty was so afraid 
to sleep alone that she willinglj' ran 
the risk of being bewitched by her bed 
fellow. But grandmother said though 
she watched closely, Ruth never re- 
moved her turban either night or day 
in her presence. Patty was dying of 
curiosity to see for herself whether 
Ruth's ear-tips were gone, cut off, as 
tradition said, when she was a pig. 

Elisha Morse died in 1827 and his 
wife in 1836. One of their sons has 
entered after their death in the Bible, 
"The memory of the just is blessed. 
Precious in the sight of the Lord is 
the death of his saints " 

I have in my possession a paper 
drawn up and signed by Patty Morse's 
brother agreeing to pay her twenty- 
five dollars "as our late father made 
no provision for her definitely in his 
will in case she should change her sit- 
uation in life and considering our dear 
mother cannot furnish her with a 
dowry without serious injury to her- 
self, etc." At the bottom of this paper 
my grandmother herself has written 
'At the death of my mother, Patty 
Morse, I received $3.50 in 1837," which 
shows that good men in those daj'S did 
not hesitate to get the better of a 
woman in money matters. 

Samuel Morse inherited the farm. 
In his spare time he went about dis- 
tributing tracts ( many of which he 
wrote himself,) and preaching tem- 



52 



perance. He wrote a letter to his sis- 
ter, now Patty Morse Belknap, dated 
" Hopkinton, May Day on the Old farm 
1854 " in which he says " I was in the 
High School in Marlboro last week 
and every one pledged. I have ob- 
tained 1400 pledges since I commenced 
my mission, visited about 2400 families, 
distributed 2200 tracts and by the 
tracts, exhortations and prayers more 
than 13,000 souls have been reached 
directly. O, my sister pray for me." 
And he was no ordained clergyman, 
only a farmer. He was the grand- 
father of Mrs. Charles M. Bruce of 
Blake street. The little cottage oppo- 
site the Elisha Morse place was built by 
her father, Mr. Davis, and her mother 
was "Cousin Katie Morse," as she will 
always be remembered by those that 
knew and loved her, outside her im- 



mediate family. After the death of 
Samuel Morse the place also went out 
of the family. Grandmother refused 
to go to the auction of the furniture 
it made her feel so badly but grand- 
father Belknap went and paid a dollar 
for the tall clock which had always 
stood in the bed-room and in front of 
which he was married to his wife with 
his cousin, Willard Morse as best man. 
I have it now but the wooden works 
were lost long before the auction. If 
you should drive past the Elisha Morse 
place just look at the wooden rooster 
weather-vane. The tail was knocked 
off by my father when he and a small 
cousin were trying to see how near a 
stone could go without hitting it. 
Not until years after did they admit 
their guilt, Grace W. Bates 

September, 1908, 



INDEX. 



Adams, Prudence. 48. 

William B., 33. 
Aldrich, Hannibal S., 47. 

W. H.,47. 
Allen, Rev. Joseph, 37. 
Ainsworth, Mr., 33. 
Andrews, Thomas, 11. 
Baker, Edward, 16, 24. 
Ball, Col.. 40. 
Bancroft, George, 34. 
Barnard, Mr., 52. 
Battles, Abigail, 48. 
Beaton. Jane S., 46. 
John, 46. 
William, 46. 
Beeman, Mrs. Joshua, 52. 
Belknap, Elijah, 33. 

Toyman, 53, 53. 

Mrs. Martha M., 53. 
Bellows, Edward, 13. 
Bent, Peter, 15, 16. 
Bigelow, Mary E., 38. 
Biscoe, Mr., 33. 
Blake, Elihu, 9. 

Elizabeth. 9. 
James, 31. 
Bolles, Andrew J., 32, 33. , 
Boynton, A. L,., 42 
Bradish, Jonas, 9. 
Brigham, Mrs. Anna, 36. 

Anna G., 35, 36. 

Anna M., 33. 

Dexter, 38-33. 

Elijah, 13, 33, 27, 38. 

John, 15. 

Joseph, 18. 

Eevinah, 16. 

Mary, 15. 

Mary A , 32. 

vSally, 87, 38. 



Brigham, Samuel, 35, 36. 
Mrs. Sarah, 33. 
Thomas, 15. 
Broaders, Hiram, 12. 
Jacob, 12. 
Brown, Samuel H., 33. 
Bruce, Abijah, 9, 35. 

Mrs. Charles M., 53. 
Buck, Ruth, 52. 
Bullard. Abner, 33. 
Mr., 33. 
Nathan, 19. 
Burnap, Benjamin, 48. 
Elijah, 34. 
Jonathan, 48. 
Burnside, Squire, 30. 
Chadwick, Sophia, 49. 
Chamberlain, Mrs. Elizabeth, 17. 
Lucy, 17. 

Dea. Luther, 16, 17. 
Rev. and Mrs., 53. 
Chase, H. L., 33. 
Cheever, Dea. William, 17, 18. 
Child, Hannah, 30. 
Clapp, Mr., 41. 
Clark. Mrs, H. M., 23. 28. 

Winslow, 49, 51. 
Clisbee, Lucy, 40. 
Cobb, Allen H., 39. 
Charles, 39. 
Charles D., 33, 39-42. 
Edward, 39. 
Ellen M., 40. 
Gershom, 39. 
Hannah H., 40. 
Harvey, 39. 
Henry E., 40, 42. 
John, 40. 
John Hallett, 39. 
Josiah, 39. 



Cobb, Josiah H., 40. 

Marshall W., 40. 
Mary, 40. 
Sallie S., 39. 
Thatcher D., 39-42. 
Cogswell, Diana H., 46. 

Lydia, 38. 
Cook, Cornelius, 9. 

Thomas, 9, 10. 
Coppin, Mr., 10. 
Curtis, Mr., 31. 
Dana, Rev. Dr. 43. 
Davis, Dolor, 34. 

George C, 36, 38. 
Isaac, 34-38. 
Gov. John, 34-37. 
Joseph, 36, 38, 40. 
Mrs. Lydia B., 38. 
Mrs. Martha E., 38. 
Phineas, 36-38. 
Samuel, 34, 36. 
Simon, 34, 36. 
William E., 36-38. 
Dodge, Amee Ann, 46. 
Dole, Mr., 49. 
Eager, Bezaleel, 38. 
Francis, 38. 
Martha, 38. 
Eaton, Gov. Theophilus, 15. 
Eddy, Charles E., 18. 
Emerson, William, 18. 22. 
Fay, Antipas M., 18, 19. 
Benjamin, 15-17. 
Benjamin W., 19. 
Betsey, 21. 
David, 16, 21, 22. 
Ebenezer, 20. 
Elizabeth, 16, 17, 19. 
Fanny, 16. 
George A., 19, 20. 
Hannah, 23. 
Rev. Hercules W., 17. 
James, 17. 
Jasper 19. 
Jeduthan, 18, 19. 
Joanna, 21, 22. 
Mrs. Joanna P., 21, 22. 
John, 15-20. 



Fay, Jonathan. 16, 20-22. 
Joseph Story, 22. 
Mrs. Lucretia H., 21. 
Mrs. Mary G., 21, 22. 
Molly, 19. 
Nahum, 23. 
Nancy, 21. 
Orlin P., 16. 
Otis, 22. 
Patience, 21. 
Rev. Prescott, 17. 
Rebecca, 19. 
Richard S., 22. 
Samuel, 14, 18, 19. 
Samuel P. P., 22. 
Rev. Solomon P., 17. 
Stephen, 16, 17. 
William, 17. 
Fessenden, John, 36. 
Fisher, Abigal, 10. 
Naum, 46. 
Forbes, Daniel H., 21. 
Holland, 12. 
Joseph W., 22. 
William T., 15, 23. 
Mrs. W. T., 10, 11, 16. 
Forbush, Eunice, 9. 

Thomas, 9, 10, 24. 
Foss, Mr , 50. 
Gale, Abijah, 11. 
Hannah, 46. 
Gay, Abigail. 10. 
Gilmore, Charles, 13. 

Dr., 17. 
Goddard, Mary, 22. 
Goodell, Amos, 22. 
Goodenow, David, 16. 
Greeley, Samuel, 31. 
Gregory, Abigail, 28. 

Daniel, 27, 28, 33. 
John, 28. 
Mrs Sally, 28. 
Grey, Elizabeth, 35, 36. 
Grout, Marcus, 9. 

H. Maria, 5, 6. 
Gulliver, C. H., 18. 
Hale, Nathan, 31. 
Hallet, Hannah. 39. 



56 



Hamilton, Mrs. L., 22. 
Hancock, Gov. John, 11. 
Hardy, Abner, 12. 
Samuel, 9. 
Harrington, Joseph, 11. 
Squire, 30. 
Susan, 43. 
Haskell, Asa, 12. 

Elijah, 13. 
Hawes, Achsah, 12. 

Benjamin, 10. 
Daniel, 10. 
Edward, 10. 
James, 9-14, 28, 51. 
Mary 13. 
Sarah, IH. 
Sophia, 13. 
Henry and Biscoe, 38. 
John E., 18. 
Miletus, 18. 
Heywood, Mr., 49. 
Hill, Dr., 35, 38. 
J. F., 33. 
Jeremiah, 31. 
Mrs. Sarah L,.. 32, 33. 
Hills, Benjamin, 9. 
How, Samuel, 8. 
Howe, David, 51. 
Nabby, 52. 
Patty, 51. 
Phineas, 51. 
Silas A., 18. 
Howland, Mr., 31. 
Jackson, Mrs. Warren, 50. 

William, 30. 31. 
Johnson, Dr., 17. 

W. H., 9. 
Judson, Rev. Adoniram, 11, 12, 52. 
Kelly. John, 35. 

Mrs. Louise S., 23. 
King-, Hannah, 12. 
Kittridge, Charles B., 9. 
Lambert, Elviry, 10. 
Lamson, G. L., 13. 
Livermore, Dea. Jonathan, 35. 
L,ow, Abraham T., 31. 
L,unt, Elijah, 11. 
Lyons, Michael E., 21, 22. 



Lyscomb, Samuel, 20. 
Martin, James, 33. 
Mason, Lowell, 28. 
Maynard, Amos, 46. 

Antipas, 35, 36. 
David. 46. 
Diana C, 47. 
Ebenezer 43, 46, 47. 
Edward, 45. 
Ephraim, 48, 46, 47. 
Horace, 42-47. 
John, 25. 
Jonathan, 46. 
Mary B., 47. 
Relief, 46. 
Reuben, 19. 
Stephen, 11, 35, 36, 46. 
Washburn, 44, 47., 
Zipporah, 46. 
McCary, Benjamin, 47. 

Mrs. Eunice C, 47. 
Meighan, Thomas, 20. 
Mellen, Joshua. 52. 
Miller, William, 50. 
Mills, Martha, 16. 

W. H., 40. 
Morse, Abigail, 49. 

Rev. Abner, 16, 19. 
Appleton, 52. 
Barachias, 48-51. 
Catherine, 49, S3. 
Elisha, 50-53. 
Gilman, 50. 
Henry, 52. 
Jacob, 49. 
James, 49, 50. 
Joseph, 48-50. 
Martha, 51, 52. 
Miles F., 48, 49, 51. 
Millie, 49. 
Moses. 50. 
Phineas, 52. 
Samuel. 48, 50-53. 
Seth, 48-50, 52. 
Mrs. Susanna S., 16, 52. 
Thomas, 49, 50. 
Willard F., 48, 50, 51, 53. 
Winthrop, 52. 



Moulton, Mrs. E. H., 18, 
Newton, Abner, 24. 
Bezaleel, 11. 
Josiah, 24. 
Sophia, 23. 
Mrs. Susan A., 15. 
Nichols, Mr., 31. 
Nourse, Dea. B. A., 23. 
B. B., 26. 
Benjamin, 23. 
David. 23. 
Mrs. Jane Fay, 19. 
Joseph J., 23. 
William, 19. 
Ostenella, Mr., 32. 
Otis, H. G., 31. 
Parker, George W., 29. 
Isaac, 46. 
Otis, 46. 

Richard Fay, 22. 
Parkman, Anna S., 23. 

Breck, 22, 27, 28. 
Charles. 22. 

Rev. Ebenezer, 13, 19, 23-25, 
Elias. 22. [27, 28, 46. 

Samuel, 26. 
Peckham, Robert, 36. 
Perrin, Arthur, 51. 

P. H., 20. 
Phillips, E. Brigham, 23. 
E. M., 23, 28. 
Joanna, 21. 
William, 31. 
Prescott, Lucy, 22. 
Putnam, Gen. Israel, 20. 
Reed, Dr. C. H., 47. 
Rice, Charles P., 23, 
Edward. 35. 
Jesse, 23. 
Samuel, 35. 
Thomas, 8, 9. 
Rising, Dr. H. H., 14. 
Robinson, Capt., 31. 

Rev. John, 11, 12. 
Rolf. Jonathan, 9 
Rule, Capt. William, 44. 
Russell, Major Ben., 31. 
Sanger, Adonijah, 40. 



Shattuck, Deliverance, 19. 

Isaac, 9. 

Mary, 9. 

Sarah. 19, 

Susanna, 16. 
Sherman. Micah, 38. 

Rollin K., 38. 
Sibley, George N., 17, 18. 
Smith, George S., 33. 
Spaulding, H. H., 33. 
Stone, Bela J., 35. 
Stow, Beulah, 17. 
Sullivan, W. H., 33. 
Taintor, Simon, 25. 
Taylor, Mr., 30. 
Thayer, George E.. 33. 
Thompson, Hannah, 10. 
Tomlin, Hezekiah, 35. 
Isaac, 35. 

Resign, 35. 
Tucker, Thomas, 33. 
Vinton, Otis F.. 33. 
Ward, Albert B., 18. 

Gen. Artemas, 23. 
Oliver, 16. 
Sarah, 23. 
Tabitha, 19. 
Warren, Benjamin, 11. 

Darius, 47. 
Washburn. Eaura A., 43. 
Wellington. Elizabeth, 16. 
Wheeler, Mr.. 36. 
Wheelock Col.. 12. 
Whipple, Francis, 24. 
White, Eben D., Jr., 9. 

W. H.,21, -32. 
Whitney Benj.imin, 9. 

Eli, 5-9. 11, 16, 17, 16. 

Josiah, 9. 

Julia H,, 7. 

Nathaniel, 8, 9. 

Rev. Peter, 37. 
Willard, Benjamin, 19, 
Margaret. 19. 
Wilson, A. P., 22. 
Winchester, Mrs. K., 33, 
Wood. Mehitable, 48. 
Young. Brigham, 52. 



3477-251 

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